The association between renal stone disease and cholesterol gallstones: the easy to believe and not hard to retrieve theory of the metabolic syndrome.

Renal stone disease and gallstone disease are widely prevalent and costly disease across the globe. Both renal stone disease and gallstone disease are associated with a variety of diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance diabetes and gout. Importantly, the presence of either renal stone disease or gallstone disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In a recent study of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC), individuals with a history of gallstones were 54% more likely to report a history of nephrolithiasis after adjusting for age, gender, body size and other factors. Furthermore, in three large cohorts including over 240,000 subjects: the Nurses' Health Studies (NHS) I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), showed that gallstone disease is independently associated with nephrolithiasis. The mechanisms linking gallstone disease and renal stone disease are complex and not yet established. Insulin resistance, lithogenic diets, alterations of transporters in gallbladder and urinary system, and pH are possible potential mechanisms for future exploration. How the liver communicates with kidney in individuals with renal stone disease and gallstone disease is not well known and whether this communication is similar as in hepto-renal syndrome is subject for future research. Further research is needed to determine: (i) the underlying mechanisms of renal stone disease and gallstone disease; (ii) the potential treatment of renal stone disease and gallstone disease.