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The Kidney Stone Page |
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SLEEP
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Patients Who Sleep in Prone Position are More Likely to Form Kidney Stones
By Angela C. Lorio
Medical Tribune:
Obstetrician & Gynecologist Edition 4(6): 1997. © 1997 Jobson Healthcare Group
NEW ORLEANS-- New evidence suggests that patients who suffer from kidney stones
may be more likely to sleep on their stomachs. Researchers were not sure,
however, if sleeping position would actually affect stone formation. A
preliminary study presented here recently at the annual meeting of the
American Urological Association found that patients with a history of
kidney stones were more likely to sleep on their stomachs, while patients
who never had stones were more likely to sleep on their backs.
Investigators in Japan recorded physical movement during sleep in 57
patients with a prior history of kidney stones and 214 volunteers who had
never had kidney stones. Researchers led by Tadashi Hatano, M.D., an
associate professor of urology at the University of the Ryukyus, found
that 25.6% of the stone-formers laid on their stomachs for prolonged
periods during sleep, while only 17.1% of the non-stone-forming group did
so. Dr. Hatano said his original intention was to show that physical
movement during sleep, not sleep position, affected the formation of
kidney stones. Other elements of sleep movement--including number of turns
during sleep, angles of these turns, sleeping on the right side and
sleeping on the left side--were analyzed, but were not found to be
significantly different between the groups.
Dr. Hatano said he still believes he will find that sleep movement does
prevent kidney stones. He also cautioned that the results are still
preliminary. Because patients' sleep patterns vary, the researchers should
look at results over time, said Robert I. Kahn, M.D., a urologist at the
California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Kidney stones are
common, but it is not known what causes them, said Thomas Brady, M.D., a
professor of urology at the University of Nevada and chairman of urology
at the Reno Veterans Affairs Hospital. "So far, physicians have only
been able to offer patients very non-specific [treatment] measures,"
he said.
Because most kidney stones form when calcium combines
with another naturally occurring chemical known as oxalate, many
recommendations have centered on the restriction of calcium in kidney
stones.
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This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
If you need medical attention, consult your health care professional.
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