Vitamin D may lower kidney stonesMultivitamins co-intake can reduce the prevalence of kidney stones: a large-scale cross-sectional study.
Study highlights multifactorial vitamin effects
We explored the connection between vitamin D and kidney stones by analyzing data from a large national health survey. Our goal was to understand whether increasing vitamin D intake could help reduce the prevalence of kidney stones, a painful condition affecting many people.
From our investigation, we observed that higher levels of vitamin D intake were linked to a lower likelihood of experiencing kidney stones. Specifically, those with high vitamin D intake showed a significant protective effect compared to those with lower intake levels. This suggests that vitamin D may play a beneficial role in kidney health.
However, our study also revealed some nuances. While vitamin D seemed to provide protection, the relationship with vitamin C intake was more complicated. As vitamin C intake rose, its effects shifted—initially protective but later potentially harmful if consumed in excess.
Additionally, our findings indicated that when vitamin D is taken alongside other vitamins, the protective effects against kidney stones could be enhanced. Overall, co-exposure to multiple vitamins was seen as beneficial, making vitamin combinations an interesting area for further research.
Read More
Vitamin D's link to kidney stonesThe Vitamin D Metabolite Diagnostic Ratio Associates With Phenotypic Traits of Idiopathic Hypercalciuria.
Association found but no treatment effect
We explored the relationship between a vitamin D-related enzyme and its potential impact on kidney stones. Specifically, we focused on CYP24A1, which plays a role in metabolizing vitamin D and might influence hypercalciuria—a condition characterized by high calcium levels in the urine that can lead to kidney stones.
By analyzing data from two different groups of kidney stone patients, we assessed how the vitamin D metabolite diagnostic ratio (VMDR) relates to clinical traits associated with idiopathic hypercalciuria, which means the cause is unknown.
Our findings revealed that higher VMDR levels correlated with increased plasma calcium and urinary calcium excretion. Impressively, a higher VMDR was linked to an elevated risk of developing calcium oxalate stones and lower bone mineral density.
While the study suggests connections between CYP24A1 activity and certain traits of kidney stone formers, it did not specifically isolate the effects of vitamin D treatment on these outcomes. Thus, further research would be necessary to fully understand the role that vitamin D may play in preventing kidney stones.
Read More
Vitamin D's impact on kidney stonesAssociation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and kidney stone: a cohort study in the UK Biobank.
Limited relevance due to findings
We set out to investigate whether there’s a connection between vitamin D levels and kidney stone disease (KSD) using data from the UK Biobank, which included a large group of participants. By analyzing this data through survival models, we aimed to find out if higher levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) could influence the likelihood of developing kidney stones.
Our analysis covered over 444,000 people, and we tracked the incidence of kidney stones over an average of 12.6 years. Interestingly, while higher 25(OH)D levels didn’t show a clear connection to kidney stones across the general population, we noted a significant finding in women over 60 years old. For this group, higher serum vitamin D concentrations were actually linked to a lower risk of KSD, suggesting a potential protective effect.
Despite these observations, it's noteworthy that an increase in vitamin D didn't correlate with a higher incidence of kidney stones, especially when serum calcium levels remained normal. This news could ease concerns around vitamin D supplementation solely aimed at boosting 25(OH)D levels. Overall, we could conclude that while there are nuances depending on age and sex, vitamin D’s role in kidney stone prevention appears limited.
Read More
We investigated whether stopping vitamin D supplementation could influence kidney stone formation in infants and toddlers. The study analyzed two groups of children: those who had undergone surgery to remove stones and were currently stone-free and those who had no symptoms but already had kidney stones.
Our comparisons focused on children who either continued or discontinued their vitamin D intake to observe any changes in the formation or size progression of kidney stones. Surprisingly, we did not find any significant differences between the two groups in terms of stone formation or size changes over one year.
While the findings suggest that stopping vitamin D may not affect kidney stone status, we remain cautious in making definitive recommendations. Therefore, we propose that vitamin D supplementation should continue for infants with kidney stones until further research provides clearer answers on its role.
Read More
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.
Read More