Sounds like the set-up for a punchline — but it’s not.
Researchers say that global warming could eventually lead to more kidney stones in much of the United States. Not only that, they calculate the direct and indirect costs of treating perhaps two million new kidney stone cases a year could climb $1 billion by 2050. That’s an increase of 25%.
Previous research has found that the risk of kidney stone formation increases when urine volume drops, which happens when a person is poorly hydrated. Global warming could increase the number of cases of kidney stones by 30%, researchers say. The projection is based on the theory that global warming will make people sweat more, and without proper hydration they will be at greater risk for kidney stones.
The researchers caution that if the risk increases directly with temperature, high-population coastal regions could see the largest jumps in the number of kidney stone cases. If, however, the risk suddenly climbs steeply at some threshold temperature, a band stretching from Kentucky to northern California would likely see the most new cases.