Worrying and interesting all the same: Kidney Disease, Dialysis, and, Climate Change

I have been doing some research into the implications of climate change for someone who is health compromised and in need of regular haemodialysis to stay alive.

One person, in particular, stands out here, Prof. John Agar. He has written and talked about this area frequently.

Another thing that strikes me is the high incidence of kidney disease/renal failure among indigenous people in Australia. The prevalence of the disease in the general population is increasing too.

Given my research, with the impacts of climate change, the future doesn't seem all that rosy. Is it now too late to do anything?

Also refer to: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/26/david-attenborough-backs-school-climate-strikes-outrage-greta-thunberg?fbclid=IwAR0jUTrz7_0CzuuzZP83DgSIR537CQaUhtEbW_Afuz-sRxNq-yD6jROHytQ and https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a27198162/sir-david-attenborough-bbc-one-climate-change-facts-documentary/

Some still have hope, but I'm a little skeptical.

I'm certainly more comfortable knowing that Vic has a desalination plant now. Haemodialysis uses so much water per treatment, between 120-300 litres. Each dialysis patient usually has 3 treatments per week. That's a lot of water. That's a lot of trees I need to be planting.

If you venture to some of the links below you'll find that there are some places that reuse dialysis waste water that has not been contaminated by blood (but not many places really).

There are a lot of links going direct to a PDF document, where this is the case, it will be indicated.

I'll probably add to this list over time, maybe even throw in some more commentary.

If you come across something interesting and related to this research, or have a question, please drop me an email (links to profile page where email can be found)

Reference Collection on Climate Change and Kidney Disease/Dialysis

Kidney Disease/Dialysis - Resource intensive, huge impact. Climate change will impact on kidney health. Collection of links that look at this issue.

_General links about the impact of kidney disease and dialysis on the environment_

2019. Collection of Reddit links to articles on kidney disease and climate change. Interesting stuff and good to find that I'm not the only one thinking about this. See https://www.reddit.com/search?q=climate%20change%20kidney%20disease&t=all

2014. Website post. Home Dialysis Central. John. W.M Agar.
https://www.homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/49-haemodialysis-going-green

2014. Working with Purple House Diaysis in the outback on recycling RO reject water. John. W.M Agar.
https://www.homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/80-a-holiday-gift-to-the-planet-from-the-outback

2015. California (And The Rest Of The US): You DON’T Have To Waste Dialysis Water! John. W.M Agar.
https://www.homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/101-california-and-the-rest-of-the-us-you-don-t-have-to-waste-dialysis-water

2016. High temperatures and nephrology: The climate change problem. Alberto de Lorenzo and Fernando Liaño.
https://www.revistanefrologia.com/en-high-temperatures-nephrology-the-climate-change-problem-articulo-S2013251417301566  Also from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2013251417301566

2016. Metabolic and Kidney Diseases in the Setting of Climate Change, Water Shortage, and Survival Factors. Richard J. Johnson,corresponding author* Peter Stenvinkel,† Thomas Jensen,* Miguel A. Lanaspa,* Carlos Roncal,* Zhilin Song,* Lise Bankir,‡ and Laura G. Sánchez-Lozada.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4978060/

11/05/2016. Media release: Climate change may be causing chronic kidney disease by triggering dehydration and heat stress. https://www.georgeinstitute.org/media-releases/climate-change-may-be-causing-chronic-kidney-disease-by-triggering-dehydration-and

2017. Environmental Sustainability and Renal Care Position Statement. This is a joint Position Statement from the Australia New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), the Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) and Kidney Health Australia (KHA), compiled by the Green Nephrology Action Team (GNAT), a working group of the Australia and New
Zealand Society of Nephrology https://kidney.org.au/cms_uploads/docs/kha-environmental-sustainability-and-renal-care-position-statement-june-2017.pdf (Direct PDF link)

2017. Jane Palmer - published news of Mosiac Science News. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/climate-change-and-kidney-disease-the-deadly-new-link-20170503-gvxzjz.html

18 APR 2017 - Climate change is turning dehydration into a deadly epidemic. Jane Palmer.  https://mosaicscience.com/story/climate-change-deadly-epidemic-chronic-kidney-disease/ (same as above link)

2017. New survey looks at impact of dialysis on the environment. Barraclough KA, et al. Nephrology (Carlton). 2017;doi:10.1111/nep.13191.
https://www.healio.com/nephrology/practice-management/news/online/%7Bf43b11d9-9c8d-4485-a17e-73336b83c519%7D/new-survey-looks-at-impact-of-dialysis-on-the-environment

Feb 15, 2019 - The disturbing hypothesis for the sudden uptick in chronic kidney disease.  Julia Belluz.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/2/15/18213988/chronic-kidney-disease-climate-change

Green Dialysis: The Environmental Challenges Ahead. John W. M. Agar.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John_Agar/publication/268983750_Green_Dialysis_The_Environmental_Challenges_Ahead/links/5b19d5d6a6fdcca67b65fe17/Green-Dialysis-The-Environmental-Challenges-Ahead.pdf 

Climate change and kidney disease—threats and opportunities. Katherine A. Barraclough Grant A. Blashki, Steve G. Holt, John W.M. Agar.
https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(17)30308-3/pdf (links to pdf, may need an account for full access.)

2017/r 2108. The global burden of kidney disease and the sustainable development goals. Valerie A Luyckx, Marcello Tonelli & John W Stanifer
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/96/6/17-206441/en/

2018. Professor John Agar: Closing the Eco-Loop - Live radio interview. Includes video with Mik Aidt?. https://climatesafety.info/professor-john-agar-closing-the-eco-loop/ 

2019. Vox article. Julia Belluz and Umair Irfan. Doctors are frightened by climate change. Their industry is a big part of the problem.
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/17/18184358/healthcare-doctors-climate-change-divesting

_Other Climate Health Related Links_

2013. September 24th. Climate and Health Alliance.  https://caha.nationbuilder.com/green-dialysis-program-in-geelong

2012. Dialysis and the Environment: Comparing Home and Unit Based Haemodialysis. R. James
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1755-6686.2007.tb00056.x

2013. Globalization, Climate Change, and Human Health. Anthony J. McMichael.
http://www3.med.unipmn.it/intranet/papers/2013/NEJM/2013-04-04_nejm/nejmra1109341.pdf (PDF file link)

2014. Green Dialysis: The Environmental Challenges Ahead. John W MacD Agar.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268983750_Green_Dialysis_The_Environmental_Challenges_Ahead

2017. Climate Disease and Kidney Injustice. Madeleine K. Scammell
https://www.publichealthpost.org/research/climate-chronic-kidney-disease/

2018, Dec 13. AMSANT Response to the NT Climate Change Discussion Paper - AMSANT recognises the significant impact that climate change will have on the .... The cost of the increased demand for dialysis services in NT. (in paper by Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT)
https://haveyoursay.nt.gov.au/39757/documents/97392 ( Link to a PDF file) - General impact of climate change on health, mentions dialysis services and kidney disease.

2018. Lancet Countdown paper: what does it mean for nephrology? Peter J Blankestijn  Annette Bruchfeld Giovambattista Capasso  Danilo Fliser  Denis Fouque Dimitrios Goumenos  Ziad Massy  Ivan Rychlík Maria José Soler  Goce Spasovski  Kate Stevens Christoph Wanner  Carmine Zoccali
https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article-abstract/34/1/4/5212690?redirectedFrom=fulltext (link to article requiring full purchase)

2018. Environmental Sustainability & Healthcare: What do Health Professionals Need to Know? Katherine Barraclough
https://www.dea.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ANZAHPE_Jul2018.pdf (link to PDF file)

2018. Niina Heikkinen, E&E News. U.S. Is Unprepared for the Health Challenges of Climate Change, Experts Warn.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-is-unprepared-for-the-health-challenges-of-climate-change-experts-warn/

2019. 3 dangers of rising temperatures that could affect your health now. Elena N. Naumova.
https://theconversation.com/3-dangers-of-rising-temperatures-that-could-affect-your-health-now-105028

_Australian specific links related to disease incidence_

Go to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for info about disease prevalence in Australia. https://www.aihw.gov.au

2007. Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry. Stephen McDonald, Sean Chang Leonie Excell. http://www.anzdata.org.au/anzdata/AnzdataReport/30thReport/ContentsandSummary.pdf (link to PDF file)

2010. Rural City of Mildura. Hiba Molaeb and Christopher Reid and Ileana Teleki. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/research/acpmildura.pdf (link to PDF file)

2017. Needs Assessment: Medical Outreach – Indigenous Chronic Disease Program. https://www.rwav.com.au/wp-content/uploads/MOICDP-Needs-Assessment_Final-Report_180717.pdf (link to PDF file)

2018: Diabetes in the Loddon Mallee Region. Dougal Strachan and Kevin Masman.  https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-conditions-disability-deaths/chronic-kidney-disease/overview. (Link to PDF report about health in Mildura 2018)

2018. https://www.murrayphn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Murray-PHN-2017_2018-Needs-Assessment.pdf (link to PDF file)

October 24, 2018. Australian health professionals' statement on climate change and health. Kerry Arabena. Fiona Armstrong. Helen Berry. Peter Brooks. Tony Capon. Brendan Crabb et al.  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32610-2/fulltext

October 25, 2018. Denials Down Under: Climate Change and Health — by Dr Binoy Kampmark https://countercurrents.org/2018/10/25/denials-down-under-climate-change-and-health/

Registry of kidney disease - http://rokd.org.au/news - need authorised access.

Update 29th April 2019This article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald today: Hope and healing: a new approach to treatment is helping Indigenous Australians fight kidney disease. By Liam Phelan. More on indigenous experience of kidney disease in Central Australia.

Update 8th May 2019
Found this paper -   'Metabolic and Kidney Diseases in the  Setting of Climate Change, Water Shortage, and Survival Factors  (2016) by   Richard J. Johnson, Peter Stenvinkel, Thomas Jensen, Miguel A. Lanaspa,  Carlos Roncal,  Zhilin Song,*
Lise Bankir, and Laura G. Sánchez-Lozada.

Also a number of links to Reddit news and other articles on the topic - search results for climate change and kidney disease.