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Insights Into Nephrolithiasis From the Nurses' Health Studies
Megan L Prochaska1, Eric N Taylor1, Gary C Curhan1
1Megan L. Prochaska, Eric N. Taylor, and Gary C. Curhan are with the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Megan L. Prochaska and Gary C. Curhan are also with Harvard Medical School, Boston. Eric N. Taylor is also with the Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME.
American Journal of Public Health
|July 27, 2016
Summary
The Nurses' Health Studies revealed dietary calcium lowers kidney stone risk in women. These findings highlight kidney stones as a systemic disease influencing other health conditions.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Epidemiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are a significant health concern.
- Understanding the multifactorial etiology of kidney stones is crucial for prevention.
- Large-scale cohort studies provide valuable insights into chronic disease development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the contributions of the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) I and NHS II.
- To elucidate the role of dietary factors, beverages, body size, and urinary factors in kidney stone development.
- To synthesize findings impacting the understanding and prevention of kidney stones.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive review of kidney stone-related publications.
- Data sourced from the Nurses' Health Study I and Nurses' Health Study II cohorts.
- Publications reviewed spanned from 1976 to 2016.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the significance of numerous factors in kidney stone formation.
- First to report that higher dietary calcium intake is associated with reduced kidney stone risk in women.
- Highlighted nephrolithiasis as a systemic disease, potentially linked to hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions:
- NHS findings have reshaped scientific understanding of kidney stone prevention.
- Clinical practice for stone prevention has been influenced by these results.
- Key findings have been integrated into major medical textbooks and clinical guidelines.
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