OBESITY AND UROLITHIASIS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Yousef Bada*

ABSTRACT

Background: Obese patients have an increased risk of renal stone formation, although the strength of this association may vary across different populations. Objective: Study the relationship between body mass index, chemical composition, and urinary disorders in patients diagnosed with kidney stones, along with studying the causes of their occurrence and identifying ways to prevent and avoid recurrence. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on adult kidney stone patients who attended the urology department at Lattakia University Hospital in Syria during 2023 and 2024 and were classified according to body mass index. Chemical analysis of the isolated stones from patients was performed, and their metabolic disorders were studied. Results: The study included 771 patients with kidney stones: 477 males and 294 females. Patients were classified according to BMI, and the most common category was over weight (BMI 25-29.9). Pure calcium oxalate stones were the most common among the patient sample, at 58.4%, and the most frequent metabolic disorder was hypercalciuria, at 34.2%. An increase in the proportion of stones containing uric acid was observed with increasing BMI. Hypercalciuria was the most common disorder in all three study groups when studying 24-hour urine. We observed an increased frequency of metabolic disorders in the urine with increasing BMI, with this increase being more pronounced in disorders of (hyperuricosuria in urine and low 24-hour urine volume). The rate of stone recurrence increases with increasing BMI. Conclusion: It is recommended to perform an analysis of the components of urinary stones to determine the chemical composition, in addition to a sufficient metabolic study. It is also recommended to lose weight and adhere to a low-calorie diet to prevent stone formation or subsequent stone recurrence.

Keywords: Urolithiasis, Obesity, BMI, stone recurrence, Syria.