Climate change may not just kill polar bears and melt ice caps, it may damage your kidneys as well, according to a study published in Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The condition is called heat stress nephropathy which scientists say could be a major cause of chronic kidney disease in the future. The condition typically results due to dehydration and excessive physical activity in high temperature. With the rising atmospheric temperature and water shortages, the scenario seems very plausible.
The research was conducted by a team led by Richard Johnson MD and Jay Lemery MD (University of Colorado School of Medicine) and Jason Glaser (Le Isla Foundation). The study revealed that Chronic Kidney disease not associated with traditional risk factors seems to be on a rise in hot rural areas. This could affect agricultural workers, who spend long hours outdoors in the heat, more so than others.
“We were able to connect increased rates of chronic kidney disease in different areas to an underlying mechanism — heat stress and dehydration — and to climate,” said Dr. Johnson. “A new type of kidney disease, occurring throughout the world in hot areas, is linked with temperature and climate and may be one of the first epidemics due to global warming.”
The researchers recommended government and scientists should work together and conduct more studies on the disease and do adequate interventions to prevent the epidemic.
Journal Reference
Glaser J, Lemery J, Rajagopalan B, et al. Climate change and the emergent epidemic of CKD from heat stress in rural communities: The case for heat stress nephropathy. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol, 2016;11(8):1472-1483. DOI: 10.2215/CJN.13841215
