kidney stones tagged posts

Simpler test that can be done in doctor’s office offers results in 30 minutes. An improved urine-testing system for people suffering from kidney stones inspired by nature and proposed by researchers from Penn State and Stanford University may enable patients to receive results within 30 minutes instead of the current turnaround time of a week or more.

Kidney stones occur due to buildup of certain salts and minerals that form crystals, which in turn stick together and enlarge to form a hard mass in the kidneys...

Engineer Jeffrey Rimer and collaborators have discovered a new molecule that has the potential to be a more effective inhibitor of kidney stone formation. Credit: University of Houston

A natural fruit extract is capable of dissolving calcium oxalate crystals, the most common component of human kidney stones. This finding could lead to the first advance in the treatment of calcium oxalate stones in 30 years. The work offers the first evidence that the compound hydroxycitrate (HCA) is an effective inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal growth that, under certain conditions, is actually able to dissolve these crystals. The findings are the result of a combination of experimental studies, computational studies and human studies.

Kidney stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form inside the...