Metabolic abnormalities in patients with recurrent stone formation in a hot territory

This was a cross-sectional study of 150 consecutive patients (105 males and 44 females) with nephrolithiasis. Serum and urine metabolic evaluations were preformed.

70 percent (n=105) of patients were males. Sixty patients (40%) had hypertension. The urine volume of 114 subjects (76%) was less than 1 liter/day. There was an inverse correlation between urine pH and weight of patients (r=-0.48, p=0.001). The prevalence of hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hyperuricemia and hypercalcemia was 11% (n=17), 12.6% (n=19), 20% (n=30), and 5% (n=8), respectively. The prevalence of hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria was 24% (n=36) and 14% (n=21), respectively. The urine calcium significantly correlated with urine sodium (r=0.3, p<0.001) and uric acid (r=0.43, p<0.001). Serum phosphate concentrations were inversely correlated with urine calcium concentrations (r=-0.37, p=0.016).

Our findings suggest that lower urine volume has an important role in nephrolithiasis in hot areas. Higher urine sodium and uric acid and lower serum phosphor correlate with higher urine calcium in stone formers. However, further cohort studies should be performed to establish these findings (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 26). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.