Kidney Stones Raise Atherosclerosis Risk

An analysis of data from the CARDIA study reinforces the idea that kidney stones and atherosclerosis (a thickening and hardening of the arteries) have common risk factors. By year 20 of this long-term research study, 200 (3.9%) of the 5,115 participants had reported having had kidney stones, a result which is statistically significant. 

Carotid wall thickness measured at year 20 was greater in those with kidney stones. The carotid artery is responsible for the primary flow of blood to the brain. Kidney stones were associated with a significant 60% increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis, even after adjusting for major atherosclerotic risk factors, investigators concluded. Carotid artery disease is a frequent factor in the incidence of stroke.

The study does not identify why atherosclerosis is significantly higher with those patients who have had kidney stones, but it does provide a basis for continued research in this area. For the time being, it appears that it would be wise for sufferers of kidney stones to make themselves aware of the risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and modify their diets and behaviors accordingly.

Until next time...cheers!

Some Interesting Facts About Kidney Stones

Did you know that there are more than 1 million cases of kidney stones each year in the United States.  That’s 83,333 stones per month, 19,230 per week, 2,739 per day, 144 per hour and one stone each and every minute of each and every day.

Approximately 1 in 272 Americans will have a kidney stone each year. The risk of forming a kidney stone is 10% over the lifetime of each adult. Males tend to form stones more frequently than females, with 6.3% of males aged 20-74 reporting a stone each year. Each year, 4.1% of females in the same age range report having suffered with a kidney stone.

The group most at-risk for forming kidney stones is white males. Both white males and females are more prone to kidney stone formation than African-American men and women. While kidney stones occur with much greater frequency in males, the number of women who develop kidney stones has been increasing in recent years. The reason often given is that since Title IX was enacted in the 1970’s, women have been participating in sporting activities in ever-increasing numbers. Playing sports increases the risk of dehydration, which can lead to kidney stone formation. Kidney stone sufferers have long known that proper hydration is critically important to lowering stone risk.

Most people experience their first kidney stone between the ages of 20 and 40, and once a person develops that first stone, he or she is much more prone to develop additional stones in the future.

The largest kidney stone that most surgeons ever get to see is around the size of a golf ball. Most stones, however, much smaller, with the average stone approximately 2-4 millimeters in size. Imagine the shock of Sandor Sarkadi when it was discovered that he was carrying around a kidney stone weighing in at a staggering 2.48 pounds. The stone, which was approximately the size of a coconut was surgically removed by Mr. Sarkadi’s doctor. Mr. Sarkadi, a native Hungarian, is now the proud owner of the Guiness Book of World Records record for the largest kidney stone ever recorded. As one who has experienced multiple stones of average size, and having experienced the excruciating pain associated with these small stones, I can only imagine Mr. Sarkadi’s suffering.

Until next time…cheers!