Kidney Stones - Causes

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Sleep Position. Sleeping in the same position consistently may influence risk. A 2001 study reported that in people who had a history of kidney stones, recurrences tended to occur on the same side that people slept on. An earlier study suggested that people who had kidney stones were more apt to sleep on their stomachs. Movement during sleep did not appear to affect the risk.

Being Bedridden. Any medical or physical condition that keeps a person in bed or immobile increases blood levels of calcium from bone breakdown, thereby posing a risk for stone formation.

Medical Conditions

Gout. A 2002 study reported that the rate of kidney stones in patients with gout was 13%. The study strongly suggests that the two disorders may share a common action.

High Blood Pressure. Persons with high blood pressure are up to three times more likely to develop kidney stones. It is not entirely clear whether having high blood pressure increases the risk for a stone, whether stones lead to high blood pressure, or if there is an action linking both. Some experts suggest that imbalances between uric acid levels in the blood and urine and sodium excretion may put patients with high blood pressure at higher risk.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis cause problems in intestinal absorption that significantly increase the risk for kidney stones. Men with these conditions may be at higher risk for stones than women.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Struvite stones are almost always caused by urinary tract infections.

Hyperparathyroidism. Some people with hyperparathyroidism develop kidney stones. Surgery to remove the parathyroid gland in such patients reduces the risk for stone formation, but the risk still remains high for some time after surgery.

Other Medical Conditions. Kidney disease, chronic diarrhea, certain cancers (e.g., leukemia and lymphomas), and sarcoidosis put people at higher risk for stones.

Medications

AIDS medications. Over 10% of persons with AIDS who take the medicine indinavir develop stones. The risk is even higher in patients with AIDS who also have hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or hemophilia, as well as those who are very thin or who take the antibiotic combination TMP-SMX. In one study of persons with AIDS who took a combination of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine, 36% developed kidney stones.

Other Drugs. Kidney stones are a rare side effect of thyroid hormones and loop diuretics (drugs that increase urination). In fact, diuretics are also used to prevent calcium stones. Certain cancer chemotherapies can also cause kidney stones. Taking medicines for long periods that change the acidic content of urine, such as antacids, may increase susceptibility for kidney stones.

Review Date: 05/22/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital