Correlation between lifestyle choices, dietary factors, and the risk of adult urolithiasis: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Urinary stone disease (USD) encompasses kidney stones, ureteral stones, bladder stones, and urethral calculi. This study systematically assesses the correlation between dietary factors, lifestyle, and the risk of adult USD, while also exploring relevant clinical intervention measures.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including the Chinese Biomedical Databases (CBM), Wanfang Database, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Full-text Database, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, and PubMed, to identify correlation and multivariate analyses regarding the risk of adult urolithiasis. Two researchers independently retrieved data and assessed the risk of bias for each included study using the Cochrane Handbook 5.3 standards.

RESULTS

Following the Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE), six studies were included, with a total sample size of 3,500 participants. Among these studies, three reported a correlation between age and the risk of adult urolithiasis (Chi=0.70, df=2, P=0.70, I=0%). Four studies examined the relationship between family history of urolithiasis and the risk of developing adult urolithiasis (Chi=32.66, df=3, P<0.001, I=91%). Two studies found a connection between increased vinegar intake and the risk of adult urolithiasis (Chi=0.00, df=1, P=0.95, I=0%). Two studies reported on the relationship between higher legume consumption and the risk of adult urolithiasis (Chi=0.00, df=1, P>0.99, I=0%). Furthermore, three studies indicated a significant relationship between increased daily water intake and the risk of adult urolithiasis (Chi=21.80, df=2, P<0.001, I=91%). Funnel plots indicated that most of the included studies exhibited symmetrical distributions, although a small percentage displayed asymmetry, suggesting potential publication bias linked to study heterogeneity and the limited number of included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Identified risk factors for USD include advanced age, a family history of urolithiasis, high intake of animal protein and fat, insufficient daily water consumption, and reduced intake of vinegar and legumes. To validate these correlations, future research should focus on longer intervention durations and improved methodological quality.