First Void Urinary Calcium for Tracking Bone Loss and Kidney Stone Risk in Space

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Microgravity exposure unloads the skeleton. This increases urinary calcium excretion, which reflects both increased bone loss and kidney stone formation risk. We studied the probability that first morning void (FMV) urinary calcium (Uca) measurements would capture the highest Uca concentration in a day.METHODS: For 8 wk, three men and three women collected void-by-void 24-h urine samples weekly. Uca concentration was analyzed using a calcein-based system. Uca concentrations were ranked among all samples from each person. FMV and non-FMV (nFMV) Uca concentrations were compared with a Mann Whitney U-test. The probability that an FMV would capture the highest Uca concentration in a day was assessed.RESULTS: Among 377 voids collected, 46 were FMV and 331 were nFMV. Among all samples, the Uca concentration for FMV was significantly higher than nFMV (P < 0.0001). Out of the 46 FMVs, 24 were highest in Uca concentration for the corresponding 24-h period, giving a 52.2% probability that any given FMV would capture the highest Uca concentration in a day. The probability of measuring the highest Uca concentration from at least 1 d increased to 77.1%, and 89.1% when two or three FMVs were collected respectively.DISCUSSION: Acquiring 2–3 repeated FMVs provides a high likelihood of capturing the highest Uca from a day. This suggests repeated first morning void Uca concentrations could assess the risk of bone loss and kidney stone formation, which may provide ability for real-time implementation of countermeasure programs to prevent bone and renal complications in prolonged spaceflight.Thamer S, Buckey JC. First void urinary calcium for tracking bone loss and kidney stone risk in space. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2022; 93(7):546–550.