Global warming may increase kidney stones

DALLAS, May 21 (UPI) -- U.S. urologists say rising global temperatures might lead to an increase in kidney stones.

The study, presented Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., during the 103rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association, shows kidney stone disease, already linked with dehydration in warmer climates, will be exacerbated by global warning.

As a result, scientists said the prevalence of kidney stone disease will increase, along with the costs of treating the condition.

The southern United States is considered "the stone belt" because it has higher incidences of kidney stones. The researchers said rising global temperatures could expand that region with the fraction of the U.S. population living in high-risk stone zones predicted to grow from 40 percent in 2000 to 50 percent by 2050. That could lead to an increase of one to two million lifetime cases of stone disease.

The cost associated with treating kidney stone disease could climb as high as one $1 billion annually by 2050, representing a 10 percent to 20 percent increase over present-day estimates, the researchers said.

The study, led by Dr. Margaret Pearl of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was reported in the April issue of the Journal of Urology.