Bacteria Reduce Kidney Stone Risk

A study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology shows that lack of a naturally occurring bacterium called Oxalobacter formigenes could be associated with increased risk of recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones by 70%. Calcium oxalate kidney stones are by far the most common kind, and once a person has had kidney stones, the five-year risk of recurrence is 30 to 50%. Future studies should show whether Oxalobacter formigenes would be effective as a probiotic treatment for prevention of recurrent kidney stones, according to David Kaufman, professor at Boston University. Washingtonpost.com, March 5, 2008.
2008-03-28 06:23:57