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Research: CURHAN, WILLETT and colle
Listed in Issue 45
Abstract
CURHAN, WILLETT and colleagues, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 USA gary.curhan@channing.harvard.edu write that urinary oxalate is an important determinant of calcium oxalate kidney stone formation . High doses of vitamin B6 may decrease oxalate production, and vitamin C may be metabolised to oxalate.
Background
Methodology
The authors conducted a study to investigate the association between intakes of vitamins B6 and C and the risk of kidney stone formation in women. The authors studied prospectively the relation between intake of vitamins B6 and C and risk of symptomatic kidney stones in a cohort of 85,557 women with no prior history of kidney stones. Vitamin consumption from both foods and supplements was assessed using semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires.
Results
There were a total of 1078 cases of kidney stones documented during the 14 year follow-up period. A high intake of vitamin B6 was inversely associated with kidney stone formation . Following adjustment for other dietary factors, the relative risk of incident stone formation for women in the highest category of B6 intake (>=40 mg/day) compared with the lowest category (<3 mg/day) was 0.66. Vitamin C intake was not associated with risk. The relative risk for women in the highest category of vitamin C intake (>=1500 mg/day) compared with the lowest category (<250 mg/day) was 1.06.
Conclusion
Large doses of vitamin B6 may reduce risk of kidney stone formation in women. Restriction of vitamin C to prevent stone formation appears to be unwarranted .
References
Curhan GC, Willett WC et al. Intake of vitamins B6 and C and the risk of kidney stones in women. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 10(4): 840-5 Apr 1999.
Comment
I find it incredibly hard to believe that researchers of the eminence of Willett et al are still flogging this dead horse. See also Auer et al in Issue 41 (June 99). This issue regarding the non-association of vitamin C with kidney stones has been laid to rest many times. Can it now have a proper burial please?
