Kidney stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form inside the kidneys, affecting up to 12% of men and 7% of women. High blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity can increase the risk, and the reported incidence is on the rise.
The treatment of kidney stone varies depending on the type of stone and its cause.
For small stones usually, an alpha-blocker medication is given to relax the ureter muscles so that the stone passes through the urine quickly and easily.
For stones larger than 6-7mm, such a treatment cannot be employed as their passage through the urinary system would cause tremendous pain and even bleeding. A surgery is, therefore, essential. We’ve covered all types of surgical options in our previous installment titled- Treatment of Kidney Stones.
Preventive treatment, however, has not changed much over the last three decades. Since calcium oxalate happens to be the major component of kidney stones, patients who are at risk of developing stones are advised to avoid foods rich in oxalate (okra, spinach almonds, etc) apart from drinking lots of water. Citrate (CA), in the form of potassium citrate, is often recommended as a supplement as it helps prevent and slow down crystal growth. The issue, however, has been the side effects which many people are may not be able to cope up with.
A new research at the University of Houston offers the first evidence that the compound hydroxycitrate (HCA) is an effective inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal growth and, under certain conditions, is even able to dissolve them.
Amongst citrate and hydroxy citrate, the latter turns out to be more potent and shows unique qualities that would lend itself to developing new treatments. Some areas where HCA has an edge over CA are:
- HCA is excreted in the urine.
- CA in the form of potassium citrate often comes with negative side effects.
- On applying density functional theory (DFT), it was discovered that HCA formed a strong bond with crystal surfaces, inducing a strain that is relieved by the release of calcium and oxalate.
Testing in human subjects has been successful so far. The preliminary findings are promising, but additional safety tests are needed to determine if HCA can be used in drug form.
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