Correction Regarding Kidney Stone Prevention

Abstract

There is an important error in the update on medical management and prevention of nephrolithiasis by Chandrashekar et al published in the April 2012 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.1Chandrashekar K.B. Fulop T. Juncos L.A. Medical management and prevention of nephrolithiasis.Am J Med. 2012; 125: 344-347Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar In the section titled “Prophylaxis,” the authors quoted the 2005 guidelines of the American Urologic Association (AUA), which advised restricting dietary calcium to reduce the risk of recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones. However, a number of studies have refuted this advice by demonstrating that a diet containing foods rich in calcium is more effective for preventing initial or recurrent kidney stones than is a diet with restricted calcium.2Borghi L. Schianchi T. Meschi T. et al.Comparison of two diets for the prevention of recurrent stones in idiopathic hypercalciuria.N Engl J Med. 2002; 346: 77-84Crossref PubMed Scopus (711) Google Scholar, 3Curhan G.C. Willett W.C. Rimm E.B. Stampfer M. A prospective study of dietary calcium and other nutrients and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones.N Engl J Med. 1993; 328: 833-838Crossref PubMed Scopus (922) Google Scholar, 4Curhan G.C. Willett W.C. Speizer F.E. Spiegelman D. Stampfer M.J. Comparison of dietary calcium with supplemental calcium and other nutrients as factors affecting the risk for kidney stones in women.Ann Intern Med. 1997; 126: 497-504Crossref PubMed Scopus (536) Google Scholar Unfortunately, the AUA website still incorrectly advises restriction of dietary calcium to prevent stones.5American Urological AssociationStaghorn calculi: report on the management of staghorn calculi.http://www.auanet.org/content/clinical-practice-guidelines/clinical-guidelines.cfm?sub=scGoogle Scholar In contrast, the National Institutes of Health Website recommends: “People who form calcium oxalate stones should include 800 mg of calcium in their diet every day, not only for kidney stone prevention but also to maintain bone density.”6National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, National Institutes of HealthDiet for kidney stone prevention.http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/KUDiseases/pubs/kidneystonediet/index.aspx#calciumGoogle Scholar The best evidence at this time supports a diet containing healthy amounts of calcium-rich foods in order to reduce the risk for either new-onset or recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones. It is thought that dietary calcium binds dietary oxalate in the lumen of the bowels, thereby preventing the absorption of oxalate, and thus reducing the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Medical Management and Prevention of NephrolithiasisThe American Journal of MedicineVol. 125Issue 4PreviewKidney stones have increased in prevalence and pose a significant burden on the US health care expenditure. This article is intended to help primary care physicians in their office management of stone disease by providing an update on the recent advances made in this field. Full-Text PDF The ReplyThe American Journal of MedicineVol. 126Issue 1PreviewWe acknowledge the error in our manuscript and thank Keller for his astute observation. Our erratum has been published in the October issue of The American Journal of Medicine: Full-Text PDF