Study Links Kidney Stones to Fracture Risk in Older Adults

A study of data from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests a connection between kidney stone disease and risk of osteoporosis or bone fracture in older adults, reports Endocrinology Network . The researchers analyzed 531,431 patients with kidney stone disease. Of these, 125,427 were diagnosed with osteoporosis or fracture in the five years preceding or five years following index stone diagnosis. Of that number, 32,613 were diagnosed with osteoporosis. Results associated the presence of type 2 diabetes, metastatic cancer, enteric disease, hypogonadism, and primary hyperparathyroidism with elevated risk of fracture or osteoporosis diagnosis after index stone diagnosis. "Our findings provide support for wider use of bone mineral density screening in patients with kidney stone disease, including middle-aged and older men, for whom efforts to mitigate risks of osteoporosis and fractures are not commonly emphasized," the investigators concluded. Stanford University's Calyani Ganesa hopes this research will raise awareness of the possibility of kidney stones leading to reduced bone strength. "In our future work, we hope to identify which patients with kidney stones are at higher risk for osteoporosis or fracture to help guide bone density screening efforts by clinicians in this population," she said.