At a dialysis center in Atlanta, one nurse made a troubling observation: More young outdoor workers are developing kidney disease, and she believes our warming world is largely to blame.
What's happening?
Lauren Kaspar, a nurse practitioner at the dialysis center, has noticed that her patients are getting younger as Earth's temperature rises. Many of them are so sick from kidney disease that they have to use wheelchairs or a cane to get around, as the Guardian reported.
"The majority of the patients that you would see in a typical outpatient center are 60-plus," she told the news outlet. "With these patients, some of them were in their 20s and their 30s, 40s. The fact that they were a really significant portion of the population was really startling."
Wanting to get some answers, Kaspar co-authored a study in 2022 to delve into the work backgrounds of the patients and quickly found a commonality among them. Many had worked in outdoor industries such as landscaping, agriculture, or roofing and were subject to extreme heat and strong chemicals.
The study concluded that outdoor workers may be more susceptible to kidney disease, regardless of their age, as heat waves and high humidity levels become more common.
Why is kidney disease in younger people concerning?
According to Yale Medicine, most people don't get diagnosed with chronic kidney disease until they're at least 65. The fact that it's becoming more prevalent in people half that age or younger is concerning, especially since many are healthy otherwise.
The Guardian reported that this trend is being observed worldwide, including in Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Many young dialysis patients are showing signs of severe kidney damage even though they have no underlying conditions that would increase their risk.
"There are definitely risks for outdoor workers in terms of chronic disease, the main one being chronic kidney disease of unknown origin," Kristie Ebi, a health professor at the University of Washington, told the Guardian. "With more research, it's likely that others will arise."
While experts believe multiple factors may be causing a spike in kidney disease among young people, dehydration and exposure to extreme heat are likely the biggest culprits.
Researchers said farmworkers are particularly at risk since many are immigrants who aren't protected by labor laws and heat protections. A study by Roxana Chicas, a registered nurse, found that workers who are paid by the amount of food they pick rather than an hourly rate have higher instances of acute kidney injury, per the Guardian.
And it's not only kidney disease that disproportionately impacts outdoor workers. They're also at a higher risk of heat stroke, heart disease, and cognitive dysfunction, per the news outlet.
What's being done to protect workers?
The Guardian noted that several states already have heat exposure protections for workers, but a nationwide heat standard proposed by the Biden administration could be implemented by 2025. This would ensure outdoor workers get more water breaks and reduce the impacts of working in extreme heat.
However, Chicas said everyone should take precautions as warmer temperatures become the norm.
"Farmworkers, being at the frontline of climate change, are already giving us a glimpse into this kidney dysfunction associated with rising temperatures," she said. "In a warming climate, we could all be at risk for this."
On that note, we can make a difference by voting for pro-climate candidates who will take action to bring Earth's fever down and switch to electric appliances that reduce pollution. If we work together, we can make the planet a safer, cooler place for us all.
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