Curhan GC et al Beverage use and risk for kidney stones in women. ANN INTERN MED 1998;128:34-40.

Curhan (SMFW Bulletin, Fall 1996 Vol. 38 No. 2 and below) previously published that male wine drinkers had fewer kidney stones; now he has shown similar results for women.

This prospective study was taken from the Nurses' Health Study cohort. Data from 81,093 women with no history of kidney stones at baseline were analyzed over an eight-year period for the occurrence of symptomatic kidney stones compared to dietary intake of eighteen different beverages. White wine and red wine were combined. Proportional hazards model was used to simultaneously adjust for the following risk factors: age, body mass index, calcium intake (supplemental and dietary), animal protein, potassium, sodium, sucrose, and  total fluid intake. The risk for stone formation decreased by the following amount for each 240 mL (8-oz) serving consumed daily: 8% for tea, 9% for decaffeinated coffee, 10% for caffeinated coffee, and 59% (confidence  interval, 32% to 75%) for wine.

Curhan G C et alProspective study of beverage use and the risk of kidney stones. AM J EPIDEMIOL 1996;143:240-7.

Wine drinkers have fewer kidney stones.

Harvard investigators examined the relation between the use of 21 specific beverages and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. This prospective study of a cohort of 45,289 men (40- 75 years of age) who had no history of kidney stones, obtained beverage use and dietary information by a food frequency questionnaire in 1986. Red and white wines were combined into a single variable (wine). During the next 6 years 753 cases of kidney stones were documented. Statistical analysis of the data was adjusted for confounding factors. The lowest incidence of kidney stones for a specific beverage was wine with a multivariate relative risk of 0.61 (95% confidence interval 0.42-0.90) per 240-ml (8oz) serving size per day. Other significant reductions were seen with beer (0.79), tea (0.86), coffee and decaffeinated coffee (0.90). Among the 21 beverages studied, the risk of stone formation increased with apple juice (1.35) and grapefruit juice (1.37). The risk of stone formation decreased with increasing frequency of use of wine. A 50% reduction (confidence interval 8% to 73%) was calculated by combining frequency questionnaire categories 2-3, 4-5, and > 6 glasses of wine per day.

The authors conclude that their findings suggest the effect of beverage-type on stone formation involves more than just increasing fluid intake.

Soucie J M et al Relation between geographic variability in kidney stonesprevalence and risk factors for stones. AM J EPIDEMIOL 1996;143:487-95.

A self-administered questionnaire in the Second Cancer Prevention Survey (1982) included four levels of exposure to alcohol. In 266,322 men and 250,739 women the relative risk of kidney stones for any alcohol use compared to none was 0.8 (95% confidence interval 0.7-0.8).

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