Beyond prevalence: rethinking climate-driven risk for cholelithiasis in a warming world
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-2156.IntJSciRep20252950Keywords:
Cholelithiasis, Global warming, Climate-induced cholelithiasis, Seasonal variations, Greenhouse effect, Cholecystitis, DehydrationAbstract
Cholelithiasis, also known as a gallbladder stone, is a significant health issue that contributes to the global health burden, affecting millions of people worldwide. Many risk factors have already been identified, but seasonal variations, especially in summer, where the surge of cases is seen, are less explored. It is also noteworthy that global warming is not only the hazardous factor for climate which can lead to long hot seasons but also for the health of living beings, in humans, it can cause heat strokes, and if sustained it increase the risk of renal stones, and gallstones by various mechanism such as dehydration. This letter aims to address the potential link between the climate and cholelithiasis and an urgent call for health authorities to deal with it efficiently and accordingly.
Metrics
References
Reda AS, Aboulkhair LA, Almsarri MY. The Effect of Seasonal Variation on Developing Acute Cholecystitis among Adult Patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Int J Healthc Sci. 2015;3:274-7.
Rossati A. Global Warming and Its Health Impact. Int J Occup Environ Med. 2016;8(1):7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15171/ijoem.2017.963
Alsaigh SH, Aloqla AA, Alzaaqi FO, Alsowiyan AA, Almutairi AK, Mohamed A, et al. Effect of Seasonal Variation on the Incidence of Gallbladder Stone Complications. Cureus. 2025;17(5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.83964
Taib A, Killick R, Hussain K, Patel H, Obeidallah MR. Is there seasonal variation in gallstone related admissions in England? HPB. 2021;23(11):1732-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpb.2021.04.009
Cianci P, Restini E. Management of cholelithiasis with choledocholithiasis: Endoscopic and surgical approaches. World J Gastroenterol. 2021;27(28):4536. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v27.i28.4536
Wang X, Yu W, Jiang G, Li H, Li S, Xie L, et al. Global Epidemiology of Gallstones in the 21st Century: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024;22(8):1586-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2024.01.051
Auda F, Adnan T, Resul T. Seasonality of Acute Cholecystitis: A Review of Global Patterns. Int J Surg Res Pract. 2022;9(3):146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23937/2378-3397/1410146
Ebi KL, Capon A, Berry P, Broderick C, de Dear R, Havenith G, et al. Hot weather and heat extremes: health risks. Lancet. 2021;398(10301):698-708. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01208-3