October 11, 2001

Study Finds Link between High Fluoride & Kidney Stones

A new study (see below) published in the journal Urological Research, has found an association between high levels of fluoride in the water and painful kidney stones. According to the study, urolithiasis (kidney stones) was 4.6 times more common in an area with high fluoride (3.5 to 4.9 ppm) than in a similar area without high fluoride. Moreover, in the high fluoride area, the prevalence of kidney stones "was almost double in subjects with fluorosis than without fluorosis."

A kidney stone, according to Yahoo Health:

"results when the urine becomes too concentrated and substances in the urine crystallize to form stones. Stones may not produce symptoms until they begin to move down the ureter, causing pain. The pain is severe, located in the flank, and often described as 'the worst pain ever experienced.'

Kidney stones are common. About 5% of women and 10% of men will have at least one episode by age 70. Kidney stones affect about 2 out of every 1,000 people. Recurrence is common, and the risk of recurrence is greater if two or more episodes of kidney stones occur. Kidney stones are common in premature infants."

According to Focus On Womens' Health:

"The pain with kidney stones is usually of sudden onset, very severe and colicky (intermittent), not improved by changes in position, radiating from the back, down the flank, and into the groin. Nausea and vomiting are common...

The process of stone formation, urolithiasis, is also called nephrolithiasis. "Nephrolithiasis" is derived from the Greek nephros- (kidney) lithos (stone) = kidney stone "Urolithiasis" is from the French word "urine" which, in turn, stems from the Latin "urina" and the Greek "ouron" meaning urine = urine stone. The stones themselves are also called renal caluli. The word "calculus" (plural: calculi) is the Latin word for pebble."

Urological Research 2001 Aug; 29(4):238-44

Evidence suggesting that high intake of fluoride provokes nephrolithiasis in tribal populations.

Singh PP, Barjatiya MK, Dhing S, Bhatnagar R, Kothari S, Dhar V.

Department of Biochemistry, Darshan Dental College, Madhuvan, India. siraj_52ali@usa.net

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of fluoride in urolithiasis in humans. Two areas were selected for this purpose, a fluoride endemic area (EA) and a fluoride non-endemic area (NEA). The prevalence of urolithiasis was 4.6 times higher in EA than in NEA. Furthermore, the prevalence was almost double in subjects with fluorosis than without fluorosis in the endemic area. No relationship was observed between urolithiasis and the duration of fluorosis. The fluoride levels in drinking water ranged from 3.5 to 4.9 ppm in EA and subjects from this area excreted more fluoride. A comparison of normal subjects (NS) from EA and NEA revealed that endemic subjects tend to have slightly higher mean serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBAR) levels and excrete more oxalate and fluoride than their non-endemic counterparts. The urinary stone formers (SF) from the two areas showed a similar tendency, though again the difference was not significant. Citrate excretion in SF was almost normal in the EA, but NEA SF had significantly lower excretion levels. Urinary stones from endemic patients had higher fluoride, oxalate and calcium levels than those from non-endemic patients. In vitro studies suggested that fluoride did not influence the heterogonous mineralization of calcium oxalate. In conclusion, the data suggest that fluoride in vivo may behave as a mild promoter of urinary stone formation by (a) excretion of insoluble calcium fluoride, (b) increasing oxalate excretion and (c) mildly increasing the oxidative burden.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=
PubMed&list_uids=11585278&dopt=Abstract

PMID: 11585278 [PubMed - in process]