The metabolic syndrome and urolithiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and urolithiasis. Background: Observational studies and reviews suggest an association between the incidence of urolithiasis and the prevalence of MetS. However, individual studies are needed to be gathered to come to a more reliable and precise conclusion. Methods: We searched the Pubmed-Medline and Embase databases up to February 2014 to identify studies related to urolithiasis and metabolic syndrome. Three authors independently extracted information on the study design, the characteristics of the study participants, exposure and outcome assessments, and the method used to control for potential confounding factors. A random-effects model was used for the risk estimates. Results: Five studies were included in the final analysis. Our meta-analysis of five cross-sectional controlled studies identified a significant association between urolithiasis and MetS, with an overall OR of 1.39 (1.14-1.70). Conclusions: Patients with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of having urolithiasis indicating that it should be assessed as a systemic disorder. However, these observations need to be evaluated using prospective, randomized studies.