Obesity Is Positively Associated and Alcohol Intake Is Negatively Associated with Nephrolithiasis

Abstract

The current research investigated the impacts of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity on the development of nephrolithiasis. We included ≥40-year-old Koreans from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort. A total of 28,395 nephrolithiasis patients were compared with 113,580 control participants. Previous histories of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity were examined before the presence of nephrolithiasis. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity for nephrolithiasis. Further analyses were conducted, according to age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity. The current smoking status was not linked with the presence of nephrolithiasis. Alcohol consumption was linked with a lower likelihood of the presence of nephrolithiasis (adjusted OR (aOR) = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.86–0.92, p < 0.001). Being obese was associated with a greater likelihood of the presence of nephrolithiasis ((95% CI) = 1.27 (1.22–1.31) < 1.42 (1.37–1.46) < 1.59 (1.47–1.71) for overweight < obese I < obese II). The relation of alcohol consumption and obesity with nephrolithiasis was consistent in the subgroups. The presence of nephrolithiasis was positively linked with obesity and negatively linked with alcohol consumption.

Association between Alcohol and Urolithiasis: A Mendelian Randomization Study

“…Previous studies have yielded inconsistent results on the relationship between alcohol and urolithiasis, with some indicating no signi cant association [11,24,25]and others reporting a negative correlation. [7,[26][27][28] More recently, two large cohort studies conducted in China[6] and Korea [5] have also suggested a negative correlation between alcohol consumption and kidney stone risk. The disparities in these ndings may be due to residual confounding factors, such as recall bias and traits that are correlated with alcohol intake.…”

“…Several prospective studies [5][6][7] indicate a potential inverse association between alcohol and urolithiasis, while a meta-analysis has reported a dose-dependent correlation between alcohol consumption and urolithiasis incidence. [8] However, con icting evidence exists, as some studies have failed to demonstrate a protective effect of alcohol consumption against urolithiasis.…”

Pathophysiology and Main Molecular Mechanisms of Urinary Stone Formation and Recurrence

“…Body mass index (BMI), fluid intake, calcium intake, and sugar sweetened drink consumption are considered modifiable risk factors for nephrolithiasis [ 2 ]. Indeed, a diet high in fructose and obesity with a BMI of 30 or above, especially in a young population, are strongly associated with an increased incidence of nephrolithiasis [ 7 ].…”

“…Obesity can mediate the occurrence of nephrolithiasis by changing the urinary pH and excreted components [ 2 ], with an effect that is differential based on gender [ 6 ].…”

“…Country-based differences in nephrolithiasis prevalence have been noticed. More specifically nephrolithiasis rates are about 13% in North America, 5–9% in Europe, and 1–5% in Asia [ 2 ]. Nephrolithiasis incidence has increased dramatically over the past 30 years due to environmental changes, including inadequate diet and restricted physical activity [ 3 ].…”