HYPERTENSION IN KIDNEY-STONE PATIENTS

The prevalence of arterial hypertension (HT) was investigated in 258 p atients (171 m, 87 f, 22-68 years) with a history of primary stone dis ease. HT was detected in 64 patients (24.8%), with no difference betwe en males (25.7%) and females (23.0%). The prevalence of HT by age was very similar to that of a general population, especially in the calciu m stone group. The discriminant analysis demonstrated that the composi tion of stones, other than the age and body weight of the patients, we re the main factors associated with HT. As far as the different kind o f stone is concerned, the prevalence of HT was higher in patients with uric acid (17/37, 45.9%) and struvite stones (11/27, 40.7%) than in c alcium stone formers (35/188, 18.6%) (chi(2) 16.31, p < 0.001). The pr evalence of hypercalciuria was higher in the calcium stone group than in uric acid or struvite stone patients (36.4 vs. 9.7 vs. 13.7%; chi(2 ) 10.35, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the hypercalciuria showed a trend to be more prevalent in the untreated (47.0%) than in the treated (31.2%) hypertensives, or normotensives (35.1%). Uric acid stone formers were older, heavier and with higher triglycerides and uric acid plasma lev els than calcium or struvite patients. Also the struvite stone formers were older than the calcium stone ones. Our data suggest that the pre valence of HT in kidney stone patients and particularly in calcium sto ne formers is similar to that of a general population. The role of hyp ercalciuria as the link for HT-urolithiasis association seems quite un certain. Struvite and uric acid stone formers have higher risk for HT than calcium stone formers, probably due to the old age or to the asso ciated metabolic abnormalities.