When you think about the consequences of global warming, what comes to mind?

Droughts? Rising sea levels? How about kidney stones?

Interestingly, there could be a connection between higher ambient temperatures and the risk of developing these painful mineral deposits, at least according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The study cross-referenced the average daily temperatures in five U.S. cities and the number of people seen for kidney stones at hospitals in those cities.

The patient data came from medical records for about 60,000 people who were evaluated or treated for kidney stones in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Philadelphia from 2005 through 2011.

The temperature data came from National Weather Service stations in each city.

To set a baseline level of kidney-stone occurrence, the researchers used the number of cases in each city on days when the average temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The results showed that when the temperature rose above 50, so did the number of people with kidney-stone complaints.

For example, when the average temperature hit 86 degrees in a particular city, the number of kidney-stone cases was anywhere from 11 percent to 47 percent higher than it was on 50-degree days.

This correlation may sound crazy, but there’s some logic behind it. When the weather’s hot, people perspire, and if they become dehydrated they urinate less often. When that happens, minerals dissolved in the urine become more concentrated and have a greater chance of crystallizing and forming kidney stones.

The solution, obviously, is to drink plenty of fluids on hot days.

It’s a good idea to stay hydrated anyway. But the idea that a few more glasses of water might help prevent kidney stones sure does provide some extra incentive.