Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Kidney Stones

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Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Kidney

Stones

Over 50 million Americans have what is called

metabolic syndrome. The syndrome is a cluster of numerous factors --

chief among them are abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, insulin

resistance and elevated LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides -- that

increase risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Now

a new study reports that having metabolic syndrome also increases risk

for yet another condition -- uric acid kidney stones.

For the study, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas

collected blood and urine samples from 148 people who did not have kidney

stones. They found that the urine of participants who had metabolic

syndrome was more acidic compared with those who did not have the

syndrome. This finding held true even after researchers adjusted for

other factors known to influence urine acidity, including age, gender and

body mass index.

pH LEVELS LOWER IN METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS

I spoke with Naim Maalouf, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine

at the Medical Center, who was the lead author of the study. He told me

that not every person with metabolic syndrome also had the problem of

urine acidity, but the vast majority did and this was true regardless of

the particular metabolic syndrome factors they had. The study didn't

delve into which of those factors was most likely to bring about a stone,

he says, rather it established that simply having metabolic syndrome

heightens the risk. The researchers did this by evaluating the pH level

of participants' urine -- people without metabolic syndrome had an

average pH of 6.1 whereas those with it had an average of 5.7. The pH

level that makes stone development likely is 5.5, says Dr. Maalouf. A low

pH equals higher acidity.

Uric acid stones make up only 10% of all kidney stones and they are

difficult to detect and different to treat. Unlike most other stone

types, these stones can't be visualized on a regular X-ray and typically

require a CT scan for detection. Dr. Maalouf says that people with

metabolic syndrome should be aware of this potential problem so they can

help the doctor diagnose the stone faster and thereby get quicker relief.

Prescription medication (potassium citrate sold under the brand name

Urocit-K) is often used to keep this type of kidney stone from forming,

but you can also help prevent one by drinking plenty of fluids and

reducing animal protein in your diet, says Dr. Maalouf. Even better, he

adds, do what you must to eliminate or control the symptoms that landed

you in the metabolic syndrome category by attempting to lose weight

through exercise and lifestyle changes.

Source(s):

Naim Maalouf, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at the UT

Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.