Journal: Nephron
Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025
Approximately 10% of the world population is estimated to live with kidney disease, which represents one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Recent research indicates that kidney’s function is adversely affected by high temperatures, and it is expected that the incidence and severity of kidney disease will increase globally because of climate change and the global rising temperatures, highlighting the urgent need to reduce carbon emission and limit global warming.
The healthcare sector is responsible for approximately 5% of global annual greenhouse gas production. Among medical therapies, hemodialysis contributes significantly to global warming because of high energy and water consumption, generation of waste and frequency of treatments. Strategies are needed to adopt a “green nephrology” by improving environmental sustainability of kidney care.
Considering the above, Nephron aims to dedicate an article collection to “Climate Change and Kidney Disease”. Authors are welcome to submit research articles, reviews, letters and method articles that present novel concepts and insights to the research community as well as knowledge gaps that need future research.
Topics of particular interest include but are not limited to:
- Analysis of the impact of extreme heat exposure on kidney function, disease’ s presentation, hospitalization, etiology, epidemiology and outcome
- Analysis of the impact of high temperatures on the incidence of heat-sensitive kidney diseases (kidney stones, AKI, CKDu, etc)
- Analysis of the risk factors that increase susceptibility to climate-sensitive kidney diseases
- Clinical, socioeconomic and public health challenges and strategies to address the climate-change related increased prevalence of kidney disease (health inequities, burden on healthcare systems, cost, etc)
Of high relevance are articles focused on decreasing the global carbon footprint of kidney care and achieve green nephrology such as:
- Implementation of preventive strategies to reduce the development and progression of CKD including promoting healthy lifestyles (physical exercise, diet) and heat mitigation strategies in vulnerable and high-risk populations
- Promotion of kidney transplant
- Analysis of the impact of dialysis on the environment and climate change
- Introduction of environmentally sustainable practices and technologies for a green nephrology, including strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of dialysis (resource conservation, reduction of waste generation, reuse and recycling of material, production of environmentally friendly material)
Please select the option “Call for Papers: Climate Change and Kidney Disease” when submitting your manuscript and mention this Call for Papers in your cover letter.
As a hybrid journal, Nephron supports Open Access publications. Corresponding authors can publish Open Access articles at no or reduced cost if they are associated with or employed by one of these universities/institutions.
Check out the Author Guidelines.