Kidney stones in women

Kidney stones are painful health condition, often requiring multiple procedures at great discomfort to the patient. Growing evidence suggests that the incidence of kidney stones is increasing in women.

Using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, Mayo Clinic researchers investigated the rise in stone formers to determine if this is a new trend, or an improvement in the way kidney stones are detected.

Focusing on gender, age and stone formation, researchers examined first-time presenters of kidney stones from residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 1984 and 2012. Their findings demonstrated that symptomatic stone formers tended to be female versus male, with the highest increase between women ages 18 to 39.

Bladder stones were less frequent and tended to be more noticeable in men due to prostatic obstructions, while women had a higher frequency of infection stones as a result of recurrent urinary tract infections. Symptomatic kidney stones are becoming more common in men and women due to the increased use of CT scans to diagnose kidney stones.

Advances in imaging technology have allowed researchers to examine and classify stone formation in patients. Patients who struggle with painful kidney stones, dietary modifications are suggested to prevent future episodes. Such adjustments include drinking more water, lowering salt intake and cutting back on meat. White people have a greater tendency toward kidney stones, compared to other racial groups. Imaging techniques also have improved over the span in which the study was conducted.
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