Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found out that the warmer temperature brought by climate change also produces more people seeking treatment for kidney stones.
The research team led by Gregory E. Tasian, a pediatric urologist and epidemiologist at the hospital, examined the medical records of at least 60,000 adults and children who were diagnosed with kidney stones in 2005-2011 in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Their analysis revealed that as the average daily temperatures increases, the risk for kidney stones also increased for every city but Los Angeles.
"We found that as daily temperatures rise, there is a rapid increase in the probability of patients presenting over the next 20 days with kidney stones," said Tasian in a news release. Tasian is also working for the Kidney Stone Center and the Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness.
The team also discovered that extremely low temperatures may also increase the risk of developing kidney stones for three cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta. The analysts assumed that the cold weather prevents people from going outside which led to unhealthy diet and minimal physical activity that eventually increases their risk of developing kidney stones.
Findings of the study concluded that the number of hot days in a year can become a better indicator of kidney stone risk than the temperature. Los Angeles and Atlanta recorded the same yearly temperature, but Los Angeles had more hot days than Atlanta. For that year, Atlanta recorded 50 percent higher risk of kidney stones than Los Angeles.
Aside from health, the study also touched the issue of global warming. The researchers argued that as the temperature rises, the risk of developing kidney stones might be higher for most U.S cities.
"With some experts predicting that extreme temperatures will become the norm in 30 years, children will bear the brunt of climate change, " Tasian said.
Further details of the study were published in the July 12 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.