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Subscribe to RSSKidney stones are nearly twice as common now as they were in the early 1990s, according to a new study.
In 1994, one in 20 people in the U.S. had kidney stones, in the years between 2007 and 2010, the rate was one in 11.
"While we expected the prevalence of kidney stones to increase, the size of the increase was surprising," says study researcher Dr. Charles Scales Jr., a urologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Additionally, the researchers found that people with obesity, diabetes or gout were more likely than healthy people to be diagnosed with kidney stones.
While kidney stones can be treated, they can also be prevented by eating a healthy balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise, researchers said. Doctors should shift their focus to prevention, especially now that more people in the U.S. are facing the condition, researchers said.
"People should consider the increased risk of kidney stones as another reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle and body weight," said researcher Dr. Christopher Saigal, associate professor of urology at the UCLA medical school.
The study used data on 12,000 people collected during the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Survey participants answer questionnaires, and undergo physical exams.
The study was released online and will appear in the July issue of the journal European Urology.
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Stunned and amazed that this article doesn't even bother to MENTION the need to drink water. A lot of water. Much more water than most Americans drink. Those eight glasses of water a day they told you about when you were a kid? Yeah. That. Put another way, four 16-oz water bottles. And people, you can't substitute a cup of coffee or a soda for one of those glasses of water. You have to drink the water IN ADDITION TO. And blaming obesity? Well, yeah, I guess it makes a handy scapegoat, but that really doesn't have much to do with it. Get moderate exercise, eat a good diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and oh yeah, drink water. Lots of water...
kidney stones are increasing in the recent years because of a lot of reasons,one of the reason is that people were morelikly to drink,even small amount of alcohol can lead to large changes in triglyceride levels.In addition ,the number of triglycerides in the human body can rise to abnormally high levels when someone eats a diet that is high in carbohydrates and/or saturated fats (routine daily diet), which explain triglycerides are usually specially high in people who are obese or rarely exercise . High triglycerides (alcohol intake +routine diet)) and lack of physical activity are the cornerstones to induce kidney stones in the last decade.
I eat a diet high in natural saturated fat and low in carbohydrate and it has knocked my triglycerides down into the cellar. I don't eat frankenfat (like soy oils, corn oils) and cut out the soda. My friends with stones were always soda drinkers.
I haven't read all the comments to know that this hasn't been previously acknowledged . . . but I find this data not so surprising given a similar surge in prescription drug abuse in our country. It would be interesting to see if the data were obtained by simply reviewing charts with stated final diagnosis of "kidney stone" or did the investigators include only those with objective imaging to support said diagnosis.
Kidney stones are the result of eating too much animal meat and dairy! When you are on a plant based whole food approach, you will not have kidney stones. Read the China Study to find out why. Kidney stones are the result of acidic blood (caused by eating animal meat/dairy) which strip calcium from your bones via the kidneys. You can throw away dairy and animal meat including fish from your diet. You can get protein and calcium from plants. You can try Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn. Forks over Knives is the best source for info. I would like to explain more but I would rather not bore somebody.
Based on what clinical evidence? I follow a high fat, low carbohydrate diet and don't suffer from these maladies, and it has improved my dental health immensely and given me stable blood sugar. If you believe the "China Study Study" - which is the name of that book BTW bc it "picked" what it wanted from the real study which is no longer in print, please google "Denise Minger" who has annihalted the "new math" used by T. Colin Campbell to make the "study" fit with his beliefs.
I wonder why they mentioned 1994 as their comparsion year? Do they know something we don't?
I had 3 kidney stones in 1994 and two in 1995. I turned 42 in 1994 and I was fit and in good health. But, I did over do it on ice cream and milk products. I went to the hospital with the first two stones only to lay there in pain. The ER doc told me if I was hurting the stones were moving and that was good. I passed the other stones at home. I actually passed them into a white dish. One was so big it 'PLINKED' when it hit the dish. My wife is my witness. One disentagrated when it came out and one was a little smaller than the plinker.
I have those stones around the house somewhere. I am going to put them on a necklace. :) And BTW, my stones were black as the night. I would think they would be white if made out of calicum.
I started including cranberry juice in my diet and backed off the whole cream/milk products. Haven't had one since...knock on wood. Horrible, horrible pain I never want to have again.
During my 30 years of teaching I had 19 kidney stone attacks. Since retiremet i have had 3. The urologist said that he sees more teachers, truck drivers, etc per cent wise than anyone. If i had to pee I had to call the office, wait for someone to come and watch my class. Uric (spelling?) built up and voila...a kidney stone attack. I totally agree the fact about a sedentary life still contributing to kidney stones.
Cut back on the caffeine, exercise, rehydrate, and get proper exercise with a balanced diet and most will be OK.
I was hospitalized with kidney stones for 3 consecutive years before I was ever informed to try an anti-oxylate diet. Doing so, and taking calcium, magnesium, & B6 before times when I suspect I might ingest oxylates, have resulted in no kidney stones for 14 years since.
I have to laugh at people blaming sodas, carbonated water and tap water.
My daughter only drinks bottled water and got kidney stones. I drink tap water and Mountain Dew and have never had kidney stones.
I was a chronic sufferer from kidney stones. I stopped taking calcium carbonate supplements (including Pepcid Complete), and I have been free from Kidney stones now for 11 years. I tried contacting the company that manufactures Pepcid Complete and they refer you to a bunch of paperwork from the FDA (which they wrote) and passed me off like a worthless step-child. I spent $22,000 on lithotrypsies and recovery and this company treats me like I don't exist.
When government gets in bed with companies it's a hellish thing. Not that government is all bad or even companies are all bad...but when you put them both in bed together? It's hell on earth.
It's second-hand-smoke causing all these problems.
Many years ago I passed three kidney stones then was never bothered again. Two years ago I became very ill my kidneys were shutting down. The first question my Urologist asked was did you ever have a kidney stone. He did an ultrasound of my kidneys and there they were hundreds of them...they can be there and you never know it...