Dietary treatment of idiopathic hypercalciuria

Eighty-eight urinary tract stone formers (74 men) with idiopathic hypercalciuria were treated by dietary calcium restriction alone. Short-term control of hypercalciuria was achieved in only 27 patients and all but 12 eventually escaped control. Failure of control was twice as likely in patients with severe hypercalciuria. Almost all patients lived in a hard water area. In such areas at least, attempts to control hypercalciuria by diet alone are likely to fail and early introduction of additional treatment is advisable. In most severe hypercalciurics, such treatment should be introduced from the start.