PURPOSE OF REVIEW:This review describes the relationship between nephrolithiasis, vascular disease and metabolic syndrome.
RECENT FINDINGS: There is increasing evidence that kidney stone formation is associated with a number of systemic problems including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and its components. Some of these associations are bidirectional. The reasons for these associations are not totally clear, but potential factors include metabolic responses associated with these disorders that promote a stone forming milieu in urine, environmental factors such as diet, oxidative stress and inflammation and molecular changes impacting the transport of certain analytes in urine.
SUMMARY: Urologists need to be cognizant of these associations as they may be able to contribute to an early diagnosis of a significant medical problem, or provide counseling to patients to prevent their occurrence.
Written by:
Lange JN, Mufarrij PW, Wood KD, Holmes RP, Assimos DG. Are you the author?
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Reference: Curr Opin Urol. 2012 Mar;22(2):154-9.
doi: 10.1097/MOU.0b013e32834fc31f
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22262248
UroToday.com Stone Disease Section