Question
I'm a woman who gets frequent kidney stones. I was concerned to hear that this raises the risk of heart disease. Why would this be? Is it also true for men? Is there anything I can do to reduce my risk?
Answer
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigators were suprised to find an association between the presence of kidney stones and coronary haert disease, heart attack or heart procedures. This was a modest but statistically significant association. The difference was limited to women and was not present in men. Researchers were not able to pinpoint if this was a causative relationship, even though both conditions do share similar risk factors, so additional research is needed.
Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality among women, so you should continue to take preventive measures such as regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, avoiding smoking, as well as regular checks with your doctor for diabetes, cholesterol level, and high blood pressure.
Preventive measures for kidney stones include staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (particularly during exercise), avoiding soda drinks with artificial sweeteners, and limiting certain foods such as salt and animal proteins founds in fish, eggs and meats. A balanced diet is always best, and you can ask your physician for nutrition consultation to avoid both conditions.