The Hidden Link between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Kidney Stones: Finding from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS)

Marzieh Rostami Dovom; Maryam Rahmati; Saber Amanollahi Soudmand; Pardis Ziaeefar; Fereidoun Azizi; Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani

doi:10.3390/diagnostics13172814

The Hidden Link between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Kidney Stones: Finding from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS)

Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Aug 30;13(17):2814. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13172814.

Authors

Marzieh Rostami Dovom¹, Maryam Rahmati¹, Saber Amanollahi Soudmand², Pardis Ziaeefar³, Fereidoun Azizi⁴, Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani¹

Affiliations

¹ Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717413, Iran.
² Urology Department, Labafinejad Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran.
³ School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran.
⁴ Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717413, Iran.

Abstract

Background: We aimed to investigate the association between kidney stones and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, data from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) were used to investigate the risk of kidney stones in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Four distinct phenotypes of PCOS, as defined by the Rotterdam criteria, were examined in a sample of 520 women and compared to a control group of 1638 eumenorrheic non-hirsute healthy women. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were employed for analysis. The four PCOS phenotypes were classified as follows: Phenotype A, characterized by the presence of all three PCOS features (anovulation (OA), hyperandrogenism (HA), and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound (PCOM)); Phenotype B, characterized by the presence of anovulation and hyperandrogenism; Phenotype C, characterized by the presence of hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound; and Phenotype D, characterized by the presence of anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound.

Results: The prevalence of a history of kidney stones was found to be significantly higher in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) compared to healthy controls (12.5% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.001). This increased prevalence was observed across all PCOS phenotypes (p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential risk factors, including age, family history of kidney stones, waist-to-height ratio, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, the odds ratio for kidney stones in women with PCOS was found to be 1.59 [95% CI: 1.12-2.25, p = 0.01], indicating a 59% increase in risk compared to healthy women. Women with PCOS Phenotype A [OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.09-3.55, p = 0.02] and Phenotype D [OR: 3.03, 95% CI: 1.24-7.41, p = 0.01] were found to be at a higher risk for kidney stones.

Conclusion: Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), particularly those exhibiting menstrual irregularities and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound (PCOM), have been found to be two to three times more likely to develop kidney stones. This increased prevalence should be taken into consideration when providing preventive care and counseling to these individuals.

Keywords: Tehran lipid and glucose study (TLGS); hyperandrogenism; kidney stone disease; menstrual irregularities; nephrolithiasis; polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (Grant number: 4-43006704).