Association between Recreational Physical Activity and the Risk of Upper Urinary Calculi

Abstract

Objective: Upper urinary calculi (UUC) is considered to be a comprehensive disease associated with many risk factors, but the role of physical activity (PA) is undefined. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate this relationship in Asian populations. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with UUC were the subjects of study and those who participated in a health examination in local medical center were included as controls. Information was collected through the same standard questionnaire. A metabolic equivalent score (METs) was measured for each kind of activity. OR of UUC in categories of PA were determined by logistic regression. Results: A total of 1,782 controls and 1,517 cases were enrolled. People who took higher PA (5-9.9, 10-19.9, 20-29.9 and >30 METs/wk) weekly were associated with lower risks of UUC than those took lower PA (<4.9 METs/wk) after adjusting for age, ethnicity, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, water intake, history of gout, history of diabetes mellitus, history of supplemental calcium use and history of hypertension (adjusted OR 0.11, 0.32, 0.24, 0.34; 95% CI 0.08-0.15, 0.23-0.43, 0.15-0.40, 0.22-0.53, respectively; p value <0.001). Conclusions: In our cross-sectional study, PA was associated with UUC.

The Correlation Between Physical Activity and Kidney Stone Formation: A Literature Review

“…Niroomand, et al 21 and Azimi's, et al 10 reported that the majority of kidney stones patients had a low level of physical activity or even did not exercise at all. This was further reinforced by Chen, et al 13 highlighting that healthy people had higher physical activity levels compared to those with kidney stones. Fagagnini, et al 14 also stated that physical activity per day or week was associated with a lower risk compared to per month.…”

“…Lack of physical activity increased the risk of developing kidney stones through exacerbation of hypercalciuria 14,18 . Meanwhile, adequate and regular-mild to moderate physical activity reduced the risk by lowering calcium excretion in the urine 10,13,14,21 . Excessive physical activity may also increase the occurrence of kidney stones when not balanced with fluid adequate intake to compensate for the sweat loss 14,15,23 .…”

“…Chen, et al 13 showed that physical activity with 5-30 METs/week significantly reduced the risk of developing kidney stones. However, physical activity above 30 METs/week did not significantly reduce the risk, due to the increased sweat production which led to the release of more water and sodium.…”

Risk assessment and prevention of urolithiasis in urban areas of Baoding, China

“…Moderate physical activities can help dislodge small calculi and facilitate their expulsion, while excessive physical activities lead to significant fluid loss, concentration of blood, and reduced urine discharge. [ 7 ] Consequently, individuals with physically demanding workloads are more susceptible to urinary system calculi.…”