Study Details Effects of Kidney Stones on the Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney function persistently declines after an individual’s initial kidney stone event, which raises the risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a new study.

To assess kidney function after an initial kidney stone, the researchers compared 384 patients who were first-time kidney stone formers with 457 healthy controls.
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The researchers administered surveys and analyzed patients’ medical records. Kidney stone function was assessed at 2 follow-up visits at least 90 days apart.

After the first follow-up visit (a median of 104 days after the event), stone formers had similar serum creatinine, higher serum cystatin C, and higher urine protein levels than the controls, and were more likely to have albuminuria.

Cystatin C and urine protein are connected with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease.

After the second follow-up and adjusting for clinical, blood, and urine risk factors (a median of 92 days after event), the researchers found that mean serum creatinine levels had increased during the event and then stabilized after the event.

“Incident symptomatic stone formers have a rise in serum creatinine levels that resolves,” the researchers concluded. “However, stone formers have sustained higher cystatin C levels and proteinuria that may affect long-term risk of chronic kidney disease.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Haley WE, Enders FT, Vaughan LE, et al. Kidney function after the first kidney stone event [published October 25, 2016]. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.08.014.