A recent US study has found that the more overweight a person is, the more likely they will have kidney stones.
Formed from waste material
Researchers were able to identify a direct link between excess body weight and uric acid kidney stones, which occur in about 5% of kidney stone patients and in about 30% 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.
Dieting didn’t prevent condition
The scientists followed about 5,000 patients with kidney stones in Texas and Illinois. They found that overweight and obese subjects were more likely to develop the condition—even if they restricted their diet. The results were the same for men and women.
The study’s authors state that larger people have highly acidic urine, even when they watch what they eat. The research may prompt doctors to advise weight loss as part of treatment for kidney stones.
Reference:
1. healthscout.com
