New research published by LIN team members has shown that heat-related kidney disease (CKDnt) may be an issue for US workers exposed to high heat.

The epidemic of CKDnt has torn through communities in Mesoamerica, rendering tens of thousands dead and even more sick and unable to work and provide for their families. As climate change intensifies, there is a significant concern that workers in the US are also at risk, but the current lack of available research and prevalence studies in the US means that many cases may be going unreported. “There is growing concern that workers engaging in manual labor, often in hot conditions in the US, are at risk of the same chronic kidney disease occurring in Central America; however, reports, to date, are limited,” notes Zachary Schlader, a physiologist and author on the study. 

The authors point to the urgent need to conduct prevalence studies in the US to identify the risks for workers and build adequate occupational programs to protect them. LIN is well poised to undertake this work.  

Authors: Christopher Chapman, Hayden Hess, Jason Glaser, Rebekah Lucas, Rajiv Saran, Jennifer Bragg-Gresham, David Wegman, Erik Hansson, Christopher Minson, and Zachary Schlader. 

The research: https://lnkd.in/gsDnS98

The Article: https://www.futurity.org/kidney-disease-heat-temperature-2598842/