UNJ Dec 2005

Kidney stone formers may feel doomed to a life of unpredictable flank pain, periodic surgical intervention, and concomitant loss of work and daily pleasures. Indeed, if untreated, those who have formed one calcium oxalate stone have a 50% chance of forming additional stones within 10 years (Menon & Resnick, 2002). With appropriate education, patients can exercise some control over stone disease and reduce their chances of forming stones through dietary modifications and medication. General dietary recommendations appropriate for patients who form the most common metabolic stone types — calcium oxalate and uric acid — will be discussed in this article. Patients with a tendency to form cystine and brushite stones may also benefit from some of the same dietary recommendations, but dietary management is a small part of an even more complex treatment regimen in these instances. Regardless of stone type, recommendations for dietary modifications are most accurate when tailored to the results of urine stone risk profiles, or “24-hour urine” studies. These studies typically provide total urine volume, urine calcium, sodium, citrate and uric Current dietary recommendations for patients who form kidney stones are discussed. Focusing on the most common kidney stone types, calcium oxalate and uric acid, the rationale for dietary changes are described based on the renal and urine physiology.