Behavioural habits and underlying diseases associated with urolithiasis: A case–control study

Abstract

AbstractThe prevalence of renal stones has been increasing due to changes in lifestyle and behavioural habits, causing major economic and health burdens worldwide. This study aimed to determine the relationship between urolithiasis and behavioural habits and underlying diseases. This case–control study was performed on 161 patients with urinary stone disease and 254 healthy controls who were age‐ and sex‐matched with the case group. All participants were interviewed by the researcher using a questionnaire. Among different behavioural habits, consuming alcoholic drinks and smoking were reported more frequently in the renal stone formers compared to the controls (p = 0.007 and p = 0.004, respectively). However, the amount of water intake and level of physical activity were lower among the stone formers (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.009, respectively). Investigation of the two groups' past medical history revealed that the positive history of diseases such as diabetes mellitus (p < 0.0001), hypertension (p = 0.004), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.004) and urinary tract infections (p < 0.0001) was more common in the patients with urinary stones compared to the control group. In terms of medications, the use of antihypertensive drugs (p = 0.045), antidiabetic drugs (p = 0.12), analgesics (p = 0.04) and anti‐inflammatory drugs (p = 0.047) was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. The study findings showed that some behavioural habits and specific underlying diseases were associated with urinary stones. In this regard, by careful assessment of personal health history and medical history, it is possible to identify at‐risk individuals and take measures to reduce their risk of developing the disease.