The present study investigated the knowledge about renal lithiasis and the diet therapy applied to individuals affected and not affected by the disease. About 62% of the participants declared themselves to be litiasic, a frequency higher than that reported in epidemiological studies. ²² It is noteworthy that the frequency found in the present study does not represent the prevalence of renal lithiasis in the population studied, since the questionnaire was also directed to people with renal lithiasis, which may characterize a selection bias.
In general, gaps in knowledge about nutritional guidelines for renal lithiasis were observed. Patients with lithiasis declared themselves to be more knowledgeable about the nutritional guidelines for the treatment and prevention of renal lithiasis than non-lithiasis patients, however, when the guidelines were evaluated separately, the percentage of correct answers for most items did not differ between groups. Furthermore, even in the items in which the lithiasic participants had a higher percentage of correct answers, the difference found between the groups was small. Interestingly, non-lithiasis patients reported more believing in food as a preventive factor for renal lithiasis than those affected by the disease. This result was similar to that exposed by Penninston (2016), in which lithiasic individuals (especially those who underwent calculus removal procedures) believed less in prevention than non-lithiasic individuals. It is possible that this disbelief of patients is related to frustration due to recurrence of stones, which may or may not be linked to inadequate nutritional counseling.23
Despite the importance of food in the prevention and treatment of lithiasis, more than half of lithiasis patients (54.3%) never received nutritional guidance. This shows that it is still a neglected health problem and little addressed in clinical practice. This fact may contribute to the high rates of stone recurrence found, 59.8% reported recurrence for 3 or more times. The presence of a nutritionist in the multidisciplinary team is not frequent in urology clinics and, therefore, nutritional prevention of new stones through dietary adjustments is not widely practiced. ²³ Among the participants who had already received nutritional guidance, most (41.9%) were not guided by a nutritionist; only 8.6% of the participants received guidance from this professional. Although lithiasic patients can receive general recommendations on food from doctors and other health professionals, diet therapy guided by a nutritionist allows for greater individualization of behaviors, not only for biological characteristics, but also for psychosociocultural aspects, which favors adherence to habit changes. According to Penniston (2016), doctors usually refer patients only when they are motivated to change their diet; however, even those who do not seem motivated should be given the opportunity for a nutritional consultation. Most lithiasics who received previous guidance on dietary care rated their adherence as low or very low (46.2%), reinforcing the importance of individualization in treatment. not only for biological characteristics, but also for psychosociocultural aspects, which favors adherence to changes in habits. According to Penniston (2016), doctors usually refer patients only when they are motivated to change their diet; however, even those who do not seem motivated should be given the opportunity for a nutritional consultation. Most lithiasics who received previous guidance on dietary care rated their adherence as low or very low (46.2%), reinforcing the importance of individualization in treatment. not only for biological characteristics, but also for psychosociocultural aspects, which favors adherence to changes in habits. According to Penniston (2016), doctors usually refer patients only when they are motivated to change their diet; however, even those who do not seem motivated should be given the opportunity for a nutritional consultation. Most lithiasics who received previous guidance on dietary care rated their adherence as low or very low (46.2%), reinforcing the importance of individualization in treatment. however, even those who do not seem motivated should be given the opportunity for a nutritional consultation. Most lithiasics who received previous guidance on dietary care rated their adherence as low or very low (46.2%), reinforcing the importance of individualization in treatment. however, even those who do not seem motivated should be given the opportunity for a nutritional consultation. Most lithiasics who received previous guidance on dietary care rated their adherence as low or very low (46.2%), reinforcing the importance of individualization in treatment.
More and more studies show the relationship between kidney stones and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease and a sedentary lifestyle.4–6In fact, some of these characteristics, such as a higher BMI and a higher frequency of hyperuricemia hypertension, were also more prevalent among the group of patients in the present study. One of the mechanisms in which the metabolic syndrome influences the formation of kidney stones involves insulin resistance. ²4 Among the mechanisms is the reduction in tubular production of ammonium from L-glutamine, compromising urinary tamponade, which reduces pH and citrate excretion (hypocitraturia) and favors the precipitation of uric acid and oxalate stones. calcium, for example. Therefore, adequate nutritional management of comorbidities can also help in the prevention and treatment of renal lithiasis.
The orientation “increased fluid intake” was the most reported by individuals. Similar results were found in an American study, in which adequate water intake was identified as a protective factor against stone formation by approximately 90% of participants. ²5 It was interesting to note that few participants (34.3%) believe that there is scientific evidence on the use of stone break tea to prevent the formation of kidney stones. In the literature there are few clinical trials on the subject and the results show different actions such as ureteral relaxation and greater elimination of promoting factors or crystals, so in fact there is still a lack of evidence proving the clinical benefit of this agent. ²6–28 Along with water intake, Excessive sodium consumption was also one of the items most cited by most participants as a risk factor for stone precipitation, both in the present and in the study by Marsh et al., 2019. High sodium consumption contributes to hypercalciuria, a since these elements share the same transport mechanisms along the proximal tubule.²9 It is important to note that the increase in fluid consumption and the reduction in sodium consumption are also widespread guidelines for general health maintenance, so we cannot rule out the possibility that the highest percentage of correct answers in these items presents a relationship of confusion regarding general aspects of health, to the detriment of specific guidelines for renal lithiasis. This argument is supported by the fact that most individuals (83.4%) also indicated,
Although the majority of lithiasis patients (61.5%) did not know the type of stone they had, among those who did, calcium oxalate stone was the most reported by the participants. In fact, studies show that this is the most prevalent type of calculus. 9 With regard to nutritional management, as it is a specific term, lithiasis patients were the ones who most reported having heard about oxalate, however, when faced with the food list, the identification of oxalate sources was similar among the patients. groups. This data differs from what was expected and is worrying, given the high occurrence of oxalate-based stones. In the study by Marsh et al. (2019), individuals with a history of calcium oxalate-based stones knew to indicate the source foods (almonds, spinach, beetroot and rhubarb) more than non-lithiasic individuals. In addition to reducing oxalate intake, it is also important that patients with renal lithiasis, especially oxalate-based, maintain adequate calcium intake. In this context, a very small percentage of individuals, with or without lithiasis, do not understand that milk chocolate would be more suitable than dark chocolate for individuals with oxalate-based lithiasis. Mendonça et al. (2003) observed a 20% increase in oxaluria in lithiasics who consumed dark chocolate and 9% in those who consumed milk chocolate, probably due to the chelating power of calcium on oxalate. 30 do not understand that milk chocolate would be more suitable than dark chocolate for individuals with oxalate-based stones. Mendonça et al. (2003) observed a 20% increase in oxaluria in lithiasics who consumed dark chocolate and 9% in those who consumed milk chocolate, probably due to the chelating power of calcium on oxalate. 30 do not understand that milk chocolate would be more suitable than dark chocolate for individuals with oxalate-based stones. Mendonça et al. (2003) observed a 20% increase in oxaluria in lithiasics who consumed dark chocolate and 9% in those who consumed milk chocolate, probably due to the chelating power of calcium on oxalate. 30
Calcium plays a chelating power on oxalate in the intestine, forming an insoluble complex that is eliminated in the feces. Although most stones are based on calcium, consumption of this mineral towards adequate intake (1000 to 1200mg/day) has been associated with a lower incidence of kidney stones. On the other hand, low dietary calcium intake can result in a negative calcium balance and bone loss, which can also induce hypercalciuria.10 Despite a small frequency of individuals believing that the low consumption of calcium and a factor promoting kidney stones, most of these individuals were lithiasic. The myth that lithiasis patients need to restrict calcium is still widely publicized in non-technical/scientific circles. In a study that investigated information not obtained by nutritionists, it was found that the most erroneously remembered recommendation was related to the restriction of calcium consumption.30 In an era where reliable information is in abundance, dietary guidelines must be specific/individualized and focused on the priority of the patient. patient to improve the implementation of the diet and, consequently, the prevention of the formation of new kidney stones. ²³
Another concern about information about nutrition and oxalate stone formation is the indiscriminate use of vitamin C supplements.According to the Federal Pharmacy Council of Brazil, compared to the months of January and March 2019, in 2020 there was an increase of almost 180%. This behavior was observed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Most individuals who use these supplements believe that their consumption in high doses is safe and beneficial.31 It is known that high doses of vitamin C should be avoided, since this vitamin can be metabolized to oxalate, being associated with an increased risk of kidney stone formation.33Thus, in renal lithiasis, it is recommended that the supply of vitamin C comes from natural sources.10,17
Hypocitraturia is one of the most common urinary metabolic disorders among patients with renal lithiasis and the use of citrus fruits shows the benefit of increasing citraturia. 34 About 50% of participants, surprisingly with no significant differences between groups, reported having heard of citrate. The frequency of identification of food sources such as oranges and lemons was low, close to 35%. However, melon, a non-citrus fruit with a high citrate content, was cited by only 3.5%. 34 Although it may mean a low level of knowledge about citrate sources, this result is justified by the difficulty, in clinical practice, in identifying citrate sources, since this data is not available in food composition tables. Other non-citrus fruits like coconut water, were also evaluated to reverse hypocitraturia.36 Given the above, encouraging the regular consumption of fruits in general can favor the treatment of hypocitraturia and the prevention of recurrence of kidney stones due to other factors such as increased potassium intake and alkaline load. On the other hand, protein sources are recognized for their acidogenic potential and, when associated with a low consumption of vegetables, it reduces urinary pH, which can increase the risk of precipitation of some types of kidney stones. In the present study, half of the participants, with no differences between groups, recognized high protein consumption as a promoting factor for stone formation. A similar proportion, however, more frequent among non-lithiasic,
The main limitation of the present study is the use of a non-validated questionnaire for data collection. It is noteworthy that, to our knowledge, there is no standardized and validated questionnaire to assess individuals' knowledge about diet and kidney stones. The questionnaire used was formulated based on the researchers' experience on the subject and includes the main nutritional guidelines reported in the scientific literature. On the other hand, this is the first study carried out in Brazil that assesses knowledge, comparing it between individuals affected or not by the disease.
In conclusion, the present study shows that there are gaps in knowledge about nutritional guidelines in patients with renal lithiasis, which is even more worrying due to the few differences when compared to non-lithiasis patients. Despite the high recurrence rate, many patients did not receive specialized and individualized nutritional guidance. This data reflects the reality of the treatment of renal lithiasis in the country and reinforces the importance of the nutritionist in the prevention and treatment of renal lithiasis.