UroToday - Gluttony is becoming an ever-increasing problem in our pediatric patients, and this is directly correlated to an increase risk of stone disease.

In this prospective study, 44 children who were being followed for obesity in the pediatric department were evaluated with respect to stone disease and stone forming risk factors using a 24-hour urine evaluation. An additional 50 patients who were being seen in the same department for complaints other than stone disease or overweight status were evaluated similarly as the control group. The difference in the demographics of the two groups was their weight and body mass index. However, of most concern, the obese group also had significantly higher systolic blood pressures and were more likely to have established hypertension. Also, in the overweight group the children more consistently demonstrated hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria compared to their non obese patient counterparts. There was also an increase in urinary calcium excretion in the obese children. Nine percent of the obese children had a history of previous stone disease compared to none in the control group.

This study is another in a long list demonstrating the potentially deleterious health effects obesity has on our children globally. The early development of hypertension and stone disease can only have dire consequences for future health issues in these young patients and more attention needs to be directed to this pediatric health crisis.

Sarica K, Eryildirim B, Yencilek F, Kuyumcuoglu U
Urology. 2009 May;73(5):1003-7.
doi:10.1016/j.urology.2008.11.038

UroToday Contributing Editor Elspeth M. McDougall, MD, FRCSC, MHPE

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