Kidney stones generate a significant economic burden and negatively impact quality of life. Individuals who form one stone are at significant risk of developing another. Therefore, measures to attenuate recurrence are highly relevant. There is high level evidence that certain dietary modifications and medical therapy can be used to limit further stone activity. The authors have provided a simple algorithmic approach that incorporates American Urological Association guidelines for stone prevention.
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In most patients, stone formation is a polygenic complex process that is also influenced by diet, environment, and life style. The tools that we currently use to evaluate patients are crude and based on phenotyping with blood and urine tests. The identification of genes associated with kidney stones through genome-wide association studies provides a pathway for a precision-based approach and avenues for developing targeted pharmacotherapy.
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This will hopefully result in more effective stone prevention.
