An American study that provides new information about the information of kidney stones may change the direction of basic research in that area.
The researchers did confirm a longstanding hypothesis that kidney stones develop from calcium phosphate crystals in a centrally located area of the kidney called the papilla tip.
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However, a new study refuted the current theory that cell injury is necessary before crystals can attach to kidney tissue and develop into kidney stones.
Diet and kidney stone risk
Belying the common belief that calcium contributes to kidney stones, a new study conducted on young women, has found eating foods rich in the mineral may actually reduce the risk of getting the painful condition.
Dietary calcium, whole grains and vegetables all appear to lower the chances that you'll get kidney stones, while a high sugar intake may do the opposite, the study finds.
Contrary to what was believed in the past, eating more protein doesn’t increase your risk of kidney stones either, the researchers say. The study also found no additional risk from taking calcium supplements.
Overweight risk kidney stones
Scientists have uncovered yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight: obesity and weight gain are linked with an increased risk of developing kidney stones.
The more overweight a person is, the more likely he or she will have kidney stones, says a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre study in the issue of Kidney International. This is the first study to identify a direct link between excess body weight and uric acid kidney stones, which occur in about five percent of kidney-stone patients, and in about 30 percent of diabetics with kidney stones.
Kidney stones form when waste materials in urine do not dissolve completely. Starting as microscopic particles, they eventually grow into kidney stones, which remain in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract.
The risk was higher in women than in men, according to a study published in the issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The problem of kidney stones is widespread, with about 10 percent of men and five percent of women developing this painful malady during their lifetime.
Fruit juices as prevention
Drinking lemonade could help prevent painful kidney stones, research has found.
Regular consumption of the refreshing drink – or even lemon juice mixed with water – may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.
This was the conclusion of two studies presented at the American Urological Association annual meeting in Atlanta.
A daily glass of orange juice could also help prevent kidney stones, says a study from the US.
"This short-term study suggests that orange juice consumption could result in biochemical modification of stone risk factors; however, additional studies are needed to evaluate its role in long-term prevention or recurrent nephrolithiasis [kidney stones]," wrote author Dr Clarita Odvina in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Preventing kidney stones
Some people may have a disease or inherited condition that causes them to keep getting kidney stones. Once your doctor knows the type and cause of your kidney stones, it may be possible to prevent them with medication and changes to your diet. Here are some suggestions from the American National Kidney Foundation:
Drinking up to 12 glasses of water a day. This will help dilute or flush away substances that form stones.
Avoiding too much protein in your diet.
If you have symptoms of a kidney stone, such as pain, nausea and vomiting, blood in the urine, more frequent urination, fever or chills, see your doctor at once.
Your doctor may do blood and urine tests, ultrasound and possibly a CT scan or special X-ray called an IVP to confirm the diagnosis and decide what treatment is best.
Most stones pass out of the body on their own. Treatment may be needed if a stone is too large to pass, blocks the flow of urine, or causes infections, kidney damage or constant bleeding.
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