Published Jan 28, 2005
VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN
22 Articles; 9,996 Posts
I was just perusing the Spanish-language version of MSN News that I occasionally check out when I'm bored, and there was an article citing a study that makes a definite connection between obesity and kidney stones. :stone Seems no one knows exactly why, but men who are overweight or obese are 48% more likely than men of normal weight to develop them, while overweight/obese women are 70% more likely to get them.
Well, that just might explain why my DH and I have had several bouts with the things in the past few years........it's funny in a way, because we always seem to have them within a month or two of each other. He'll get one, moan and groan for a few days, then pass it and be done with it; then a few weeks later, I'll get symptoms of a UTI, go on antibiotics and Pyridium for the bladder spasms, and then one day I'll hear the telltale "plunk" in the potty which tells me I've just passed a stone. (The first time I went through this, I had TWO that were so big I had to have 'em blasted to smithereens.....now that was a whole new world of pain that I never knew existed, even through five births and a case of appendicitis.)
Anyone else heard of this? And what do you think.......is obesity really a risk factor for renal calculi, as the AMA seems to believe it may be, or just another medical 'factoid' designed to scare people into dieting? Inquiring minds want to know!
talaxandra
3,037 Posts
I don't have any articles for support will see what I can find), but I haven't noticed a predominance of larger patients among our renal calculi cohort. Can you tell I'm in the final (I pray! phase of thesis writing?! We've got four patients on the ward at the moment with current or recent calculi (so I'm factoring out people who might have subsequently lost weight) and one's a bit heavy, two are 'normal' sized and one's a tiny little twiglet!
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
I've heard the obesity link too . .. but our pharmacist is NOT obese and in great shape and has had recurrent kidney stones . .so maybe genetics plays a part too.
steph
P.S. I've never had a Krispy Kreme donut, we don't have a store nearby in fact the nearest is 3 hours away. But I did see some in Target the other day (most likely not fresh) and they cost $6.99 for a dozen and they looked like regular glazed donuts to me. No way am I paying $6.99 for donuts.
Also, the name Krispy Kreme - I expected cream-filled fancy looking crisp donuts. Sorta like a deep-fried cream filled thing. The name is misleading. :)
saskrn
562 Posts
Sadly, Krispy Kreme donuts are almost my favorite food in the entire world, and I've just been diagnosed with diabetes. Maybe that's why I'm diabetic? Thank God I love fruits and veggies too.
leslie :-D
11,191 Posts
we've just recently started getting krispy kreme shops in massachusetts- EVERYONE raves about them, so much better than dunkin donuts they claim.
i was very disappointed in the donuts- they seemed fried but with no substance.
give me dunkin' donuts any day.
as for the correlation between obsesity and kidney stones, doesn't it figure that women get the brunt of it. must be something magical in our adipose tissue....now don't you feel special now. :icon_roll
FZ1Tom
49 Posts
Hate to say it, but being overweight seems to increase the risks for a LOT of unpleasantries, be it kidney stones (been there, done that......the pain was ferocious, and I just had really little ones......I think?) diabetes, or whatnot.
I can't eat them Krispy Kreme donuts either (funny how I never really thought much of buying donuts before that place opened), but they sure do taste good, espescially when hot off the rack like that! Alas, the darned store is right down the street from where I work, and so I have to resist the urge to turn the steering wheel ever time I drive by! :chuckle
thanatos
74 Posts
interesting...almost all of the kidney stone patients I have taken care of were not obese. I can only think of one that was. I wonder if there is an increase of a particular type of kidney stone, e.g. uric acid, calcium oxylate, etc? I will have to research this.
Aneroo, LPN
1,518 Posts
Recently had two girls in my nursing class who've both had kidney stones. They both weigh about 100 lbs... going with genetics.
As for Krispy Kreme, I love it, and my butt is as big as a house (ok, maybe a single wide, but still...). We have one in town. You have to go when the hot now sign is on. Coffee is great also. Great place for late night cramming before finals... -Andrea
I loooove Krispy Kremes........thank the Lord the nearest store is in Portland, an hour-and-a-half away, so I don't get to have them very often. :chuckle
Actually, right now I couldn't care less about donuts, or anything else that's edible.....I'm still fighting this combination gastroenteritis/respiratory illness that sent me to the doctor yesterday (the first day I was well enough to even get OOB). He said I was wheezing badly (why is it I can never hear myself, I wonder??) and put me on prednisone for the asthma flareup, antibiotics for the secondary infection, Phenergan and Imodium for the nausea & diarrhea, Zyrtec for my sinus drainage, and codeine cough syrup. My 02 sats were around 91-92% on room air (no wonder I was a bit short of breath), so it was a good thing I went in when I did.
Have you ever tried fixing a computer when you're stoned on Phenergan and codeine?? :chuckle I felt marginally better last night, and I was PO'd about the thing crashing anyway, so I attempted---unwisely---to put everything back together. Talk about chasing one's tail......trying to figure out what went where, which startup disk to use, and getting stuck midway through the process only to go back and do the same dumb things all over again. :stone I finally gave it up around 10:30 PM, half-blind and headachy and still feeling like something the dog dragged under the house.
Today it took all of an hour to find the problem and fix it, and obviously things are working just fine because I'm here now. (Am I addicted to allnurses or what??) I feel a little better thanks to the meds and our home nebulizer (we call it the 'peace pipe'), but I have very little appetite......oh, I'll get a teeny bit hungry, but then if I eat something I feel unpleasantly stuffed for hours. Too bad it won't last for long.....a year or two would be nice!
Slightly OT but there is a strong correlation between weight and gallstones. Well, weight loss and gallstones, at any rate - three friends of mine have had chole's following large and rapid (nonsurgical) weight loss. Two of them are back to their pre-diet weights (plus 5 - 10%)...
hmcna
36 Posts
Well... i have kidney stones... am obese... however, mine are from eating in a manner which used to help me maintain my diabetes without medications....
ie low carb
i make uric acid stones....
and tons of gravel.
So now i'm on meds to dissolve the stones, and meds for diabetes, and a med for higher b/p, which is caused by the diabetic meds.... and a nutritional suppliment that helps my body break down protein.