An unexpected pain of global warming
A new study suggests that global warming could increase the incidence of kidney stones, causing physical pain for some and economic pain for the rest of us. Janet Babin reports.
Stethoscope and $5 bills (iStockPhoto)
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Scott Jagow: What else can we attribute to global warming? Kidney stones?
Unfortunately, I'm not joking. Janet Babin reports from our Innovations Desk at North Carolina Public Radio on a new study.
Janet Babin: The study found that about 30 percent more of us will get kidney stones because of climate change.
Lead author, Dr. Thomas Brikowski at the University of Texas at Dallas explains the correlation:
Thomas Brikowski: We know from the distribution of kidney stones within the U.S. that higher temperatures encourage stone formation.
Higher heat can cause dehydration, a major factor in kidney stones. The authors estimate that the annual cost to treat these new kidney stone cases will reach $1 billion dollars by 2050.
Margaret Sue Pearl: Well, it's cost of hospitalization, it's cost of surgery, it's cost of physician office visits, it's cost of emergency room visits. All of those things are taken into account.
That's study co-author Dr. Margaret Sue Pearl at the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Big sun belt states, like Texas, Florida and California, will likely see the highest increases.
I'm Janet Babin for Marketplace.
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From Los Angeles, CA, CA, 11/04/2008
These days that one of the most prominent problem of the people is about the health issues. It is very important for all of us to have a healthy body. This is one of the major things that we have to take good care of. If we are unhealthy especially for the kids that are going to the school they might get sick. It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s a story about how unhealthy Americans have become. Diabetes is skyrocketing in the United States. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise among adults and children alike. A recent story in the New York Times reported that kidney stones are becoming more and more common in children as young as 5 or 6. A child with kidney stones used to be a rare occurrence, but now, some hospitals have opened pediatric kidney stone clinics in order to accommodate all of the kids that come in with kidney stones. The main preventative measure parents can take to help their children avoid developing a kidney stone is to encourage them to stay hydrated and discourage the over consumption of salt. However, it’s hard for parents to be with their kids all the time to ensure they’re putting the right things in their bodies—like at school—and sometimes kids just don’t listen. Not only is a kidney stone harmful to your kid, it can be a major blow to your budget. And let’s face it; keeping up with the financial demands of today is a daunting task. As a result of this, people are seeking for a financial assistance, when they are trap with a sudden financial trouble. Like for example if your child develops a kidney stone, or is hit with some other health issue, you can always get payday installment loans to help cover the medical costs until you get paid next. This is one of a great help for you.
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From Louisville, KY, 07/15/2008
Oh please, not another "scare the masses" story about global warming. A good story would be on "Global Warming causes chocolate to melt." Global Warming doesn't cause kidney stones. Not drinking sufficient water causes kidney stones. Enough with the scare stories. Be responsible journalists.
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