Diabetes is a condition that leads to many other health complications. What may be surprising to you is the fact that it also increases the chance of you forming kidney stones. On top of the other diabetes complications you must deal with, it might be the last thing you want to hear. But it's important to be aware of the kidney stones diabetes link.
What Diabetes Factors Lead to Kidney Stones?
Diabetes is a condition where you are dealing with high blood sugar. One of the effects of high blood sugar is that it makes your system more acidic. Changes in pH can often lead to the formation of kidney stones.
European Urology researchers determined that people with type 2 diabetes whose A1c levels were over 6.5 percent were 92 percent more likely to develop kidney stones than people without diabetes.
“Insulin resistance plays a key role in type 2 diabetes mellitus,” reports research from Reviews in Urology, “and it has been linked to uric acid stone formation. Insulin resistance might result in a deficit in ammonium production in the kidney, which lowers urinary pH, thus generating a favorable milieu for uric acid stone formation.”
Insulin resistance from diabetes (when your cells stop responding to insulin) can also raise the levels of calcium in your urine. That can make calcium oxalate kidney stones more likely to form.
The number one most helpful thing you can do to prevent future kidney stones if you have diabetes is to improve your blood sugar levels. This is easier said than done, of course, but it’s essential for your long-term health, including avoiding kidney stones.
Uric Acid Stones are Most Common Type of Kidney Stones for People with Diabetes
When it comes to the kidney stones diabetes situation, uric acid stones are the most common type of stones. You are often not dealing with calcium oxalate stones. This means that it won't really help to follow a regular low oxalate diet that is often recommended for people dealing with kidney stones.
The adjustment that you have to make is to decrease your intake of animal protein. Consuming high amounts of animal protein is associated with high levels of uric acid. This uric acid builds up and leads to the kidney stones.
The Best Way to Deal with Kidney Stones Caused By Diabetes
Overall, you have to approach kidney stones caused by diabetes in a different way. First, you have to make sure that you are doing everything possible to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Second, decrease your intake of animal protein if you're dealing with uric acid stones.
If you have diabetes, you have to be aware of how it leads to kidney stones. Even if you are not dealing with kidney stones at the moment, it will still help to make the necessary life changes.
