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Higher Temperatures Tied to Greater Risk for Mortality in People Undergoing Dialysis

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 23, 2025.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 -- Moderately elevated ambient temperature is associated with increased mortality in patients undergoing dialysis, according to a study published in the February issue of the Clinical Kidney Journal.

Cécile Couchoud, M.D., Ph.D., from Agence de la biomédecine in Saint Denis La Plaine, France, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the association between high temperatures and mortality for patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 treated with dialysis or with a kidney graft (2012 to 2022). The analysis included 116,808 patients undergoing dialysis and 64,531 patients with a kidney graft.

The researchers found that between June and September during 2012 to 2022, temperatures varied from 6.7 to 45.4 degrees Celsius. During this period, there were 20,174 deaths among patients undergoing dialysis and 3,340 among patients with a kidney graft. Among those undergoing dialysis, a maximum temperature >32.5 degrees Celsius was associated with higher mortality (incidence ratio, 1.09). There was no such association observed among patients with a kidney graft.

"Further analyses are needed to confirm these results and better understand the biological and clinical impact of heat intensity and the cumulative effect with other environmental factors such as air pollution," the authors write. "More detailed studies on reasons for hospitalizations and causes of death are also planned."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted April 2025

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