SAN DIEGO—Caucasians have a significantly higher incidence of uric acid urinary stones than African Americans or Hispanics, according to study data presented at the American Urological Association 2013 annual meeting.
In addition, Caucasians have a significantly larger visceral fat area (VFA) than in African Americans and Hispanics. Previous research has demonstrated that a higher VFA is associated with an increased risk of forming uric acid stones.
The study, by Tian C. Zhou, MD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y., and colleagues, included 219 patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithomy (PCNL). The cohort included 55 Caucasians, 71 African Americans, and 93 Hispanics. The proportion of patients with uric acid stones was 27.3% among Caucasians compared with 15.5% and 15.1% among African Americans and Hispanics, respectively. Caucasians had a mean VFA of 207 cm, whereas African Americans and Hispanics had a mean VFA of 148 cm and 170 cm, respectively. The study found no association between body mass index (BMI) and uric acid stone formation.
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“While mean BMI does not differ significantly between ethnic groups, VFA does, indicating a strong association between visceral adiposity and formation of uric acid stones,” the authors concluded in a poster presentation.
