Risk Factors

The risk factors for kidney stones fall into two categories: those you can control through lifestyle choices and those traits you are born with. Having a risk factor doesn't mean that you'll develop a disease or condition. Medical research continues to reveal how risk factors interact to influence a person's health and life span. However, understanding your risk allows you to balance the value you place on your health with the risk that may compromise your health in the future. In the United States, the incidence of kidney stones is on the rise, especially in young children. Many experts attribute this increase to changes in lifestyle such as poor diet and a decrease in water consumption.

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Risk factors for forming a kidney stone include:

• Familial or personal history of kidney stones. If a first-degree relative (mother, father, or sibling) has had a kidney stone, your risk of developing a kidney stone increases dramatically. If you have had a kidney stone, your risk of developing a subsequent one increases dramatically. The risk of developing subsequent kidney stones increases with each episode.
• Lack of fluids. You're more likely to form stones if you live in a hot dry climate, work in a hot environment like a commercial kitchen, exercise strenuously without replacing fluids, or habitually drink relatively low amounts of fluid.
• Elevated calcium levels in the urine. Elevated calcium levels in the blood increase the likelihood of developing a kidney stone.
• Renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, gout, chronic urinary tract infections, and hyperparathyroidism are the more common diseases that are associated with kidney stones.
• High-protein and low-fiber diet increases the risk of forming a kidney stone.
• Obesity and sudden weight gain increase the risk of developing a kidney stone.