Carrying extra weight has been linked with a higher risk of getting kidney stones.
For people who have had kidney stones, being overweight can increase the chances of getting them again. Losing weight can help to reduce this risk.
This review will discuss the effectiveness of different weight loss methods, focusing on their impact on risk factors for kidney stone disease.
Methods
Researchers searched through PubMed and the Cochrane library to find relevant literature on this topic.
Results
The scientific evidence showing the benefits of weight loss strategies for kidney stone disease is not abundant.
However, what the researchers do know is that a traditional diet that limits the number of calories consumed can help overweight individuals lose weight.
This type of diet can also reduce the amount of calcium oxalate – a common substance found in kidney stones – in the urine.
Further evidence suggests that a low-calorie diet combined with meal replacements can help lower the amount of uric acid in urine. Too much uric acid can lead to kidney stones.
This type of diet can also improve the health markers related to heart disease and metabolism, making it potentially beneficial for overweight patients with kidney stones.
However, the research is less clear when it comes to the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
These diets are often recommended for their health benefits, but we don’t have enough studies showing whether they can help with weight loss and reduce the risk of kidney stone formation.
Conclusion
A low-calorie diet, with or without meal replacements, could be a promising weight loss method for overweight patients with kidney stones.
However, we need more research to fully understand the effect of different weight loss methods on the risk of kidney stones and other health markers in these individuals.
This includes studying diets like the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which may also offer potential benefits for this population.
The study was published in the World Journal of Urology.
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