Research finds extreme heat due to climate change can contribute to kidney disease

In 2022, Lauren Kasper, a nurse practitioner in the US, co-authored a study on the employment histories of some patients. Many of them had toiled hard in landscaping, agriculture or roofing – exposed to harsh chemicals and extreme heat.

The study suggested that people in heat-stressed environments may be at even greater risk of kidney disease. “It is not just the heat, it’s that humidity too – that combo is so hard on the body and can be so dehydrating for people,” the Guardian quoted Kasper as saying.

Extreme heat linked to longer-term health problems

If the body is exposed to extreme heat, the cardiovascular system goes into overdrive in order to keep the body at a safe temperature. Over time, these tough functions put pressure on organs like the heart and kidneys – especially for people toiling hard outdoors.

This summer, a sizeable portion of the US baked under deadly, record-breaking heat. Extreme heat exposure is usually linked to acute emergencies like heat stroke. But researchers are also finding that it can contribute to several longer-term health problems.

In recent decades, a number of young people have been visiting dialysis centres in the US, Sri Lanka, India and Saudi Arabia. These people are suffering from severe kidney damage but none of the typical risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure or autoimmune disease.

Need to enact heat exposure standards

It is still unclear if heat is the primary cause of the illness in young people, or if other factors like pesticides or the use of painkillers are also contributing. But it is important to highlight here that only a handful of US states have heat exposure standards.

Florida and Texas prohibit local governments from enacting heat protections. In July, the Biden administration proposed a national heat standard that could go into effect next year. Experts believe such a standard could help keep heat-related illnesses at bay.