WASHINGTON:
Latest research indicates that global warming could have another unwanted
spin-off - it may spur the formation of kidney
stones.
Dehydration,
particularly in warmer climes and higher temperatures, will only exacerbate this
effect. Consequently, the prevalence of stone disease may increase, along with
the costs of treatment.
Using
published data bearing on temperature-dependence of stone disease, researchers
applied predictions of temperature increase to determine the impact of global
warming on the incidence and cost of kidney stone disease.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) has indicated significant increases in temperature by
2050.
These findings were
presented at the ongoing 103rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American
Urological Association.