DIETARY SALT, URINARY CALCIUM, AND KIDNEY-STONE RISK

Both salt-loading studies and reports of free-living populations find that urinary calcium excretion increases approximately 1 mmol (40 mg) for each 100 mmol (2300 mg) increase in dietary sodium in normal adult s. Renal calcium stone-formers with hypercalciuria appear to have grea ter proportional increases in urinary calcium (approximately 2 mmol) p er 100 mmol increase in salt intake. Thus, reduction of dietary NaCl m ay be a useful strategy to decrease the risk of forming calcium-contai ning kidney stones.