Calcium does not increase kidney stone risk
Risk of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis after calcium or combined calcium and calcitriol supplementation in postmenopausal women.
We examined the effects of calcium, with or without calcitriol, on kidney stone risk in postmenopausal Thai women. The study involved 53 women who took either calcium alone or calcium plus calcitriol for three months.
We found that while calcium levels in urine increased, there was no significant rise in the risk of kidney stones. Overall, most subjects did not experience significant changes in factors that would predispose them to kidney stones.
Our results suggest that calcium and vitamin D supplementation does not contribute to an increased risk of kidney stones, making it a safer option for bone health in this population.
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Vitamin D3: Monitoring Calcium Excretion
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among idiopathic stone formers, but does correction pose any risk?
We explored the connection between vitamin D3 supplementation and kidney stones in individuals with no identifiable causes for their stones. Our study examined a group of 456 idiopathic stone formers to find out how prevalent vitamin D deficiency is among them. We discovered that a significant portion—31%—were deficient in vitamin D, while 57% were insufficient, and only 12% were at healthy levels.
To see if supplementing vitamin D3 would provide benefits, we gave 37 of these vitamin D-deficient patients a weekly dose of 20,000 IU for four months. While we noted that this supplementation raised serum vitamin D levels and reduced parathyroid hormone concentrations, the increase in urinary calcium excretion after treatment did not reach statistical significance.
Interestingly, 22 patients had higher calcium levels in their urine, but others experienced a decrease or no change. What’s crucial here is that six patients who were initially normal concerning calcium levels ended up developing hypercalciuria after treatment. This means we should carefully monitor patients who receive vitamin D3 to ensure that they do not experience unexpected increases in calcium excretion that could raise the risk of kidney stones.
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Calcium's role in kidney stones
Associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D/calcium/alkaline phosphatase levels and the risk of developing kidney stones: Results from NHANES (2013-2018)-based and Mendelian randomization studies.
We explored the connections between calcium levels and kidney stones using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2013 to 2018, along with more advanced genetic analyses. Our aim was to understand how the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) might influence the risk of developing kidney stones.
While observational analyses suggested a relationship between ALP levels and kidney stones, we found that calcium levels did not display a significant association with kidney stones when looking at the data directly. However, utilizing Mendelian randomization analysis, we observed a potential causal link, indicating that elevated calcium levels could indeed raise the risk of developing kidney stones.
The key takeaway from our research is that while observational studies show no strong link between calcium and kidney stones, our genetic analysis implies that higher calcium may contribute to stone formation. Our work provides valuable insights and directions for future studies focused on preventing and treating this painful condition.
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Vitamin D3 does not prevent stones
Effect of two vitamin D repletion protocols on 24-h urine calcium in patients with recurrent calcium kidney stones and vitamin D deficiency: a randomized clinical trial.
We assessed how two different vitamin D3 repletion protocols affect patients with recurrent calcium kidney stones and vitamin D deficiency. This was a controlled clinical trial involving 62 participants who had low levels of vitamin D and were prone to kidney stones. We administered either 2000 IU of cholecalciferol daily for 12 weeks or 50,000 IU weekly for 8 weeks.
Both treatment approaches resulted in a significant increase in 24-hour urine calcium levels; however, there was no difference between the two methods. Importantly, neither regimen increased the supersaturation of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate, which are substances that can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
We also observed a notable increase in serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, particularly in the weekly high-dose group, and a decline in serum parathyroid hormone in both groups. Despite these changes, it's crucial to highlight that our findings indicate no significant advantages in preventing kidney stones from vitamin D3 treatment alone.
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Vitamin D3 increases kidney stone risk
Metabolic effects of cholecalciferol supplementation in patients with calcium nephrolithiasis and vitamin D deficiency.
We explored the impact of cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, on individuals with calcium nephrolithiasis and a deficiency in vitamin D. The purpose of our investigation was to determine whether this supplementation might lead to an increased risk of developing kidney stones.
In the study, thirty-three participants, averaging 56 years and deficient in vitamin D, were evaluated before and after receiving cholecalciferol supplements. Initially, we examined both their calcium excretion and urine supersaturation levels, which help indicate the risk of stone formation.
Following the supplementation, we observed several significant changes. Notably, the serum levels of vitamin D increased, and more participants became hypercalciuric, meaning they were excreting higher levels of calcium in their urine. This was concerning as increased urine supersaturation with calcium could elevate the risk of kidney stones.
Despite the rise in vitamin D levels, we didn’t see any major changes in overall calcium levels in the blood, suggesting that the body was managing these variations. However, for those undergoing this treatment, there remains a cautionary note about the potential for increased stone formation due to higher calcium excretion.
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