The association between urinary lead and risk of kidney stones: A population-based study

Abstract

Abstract Background The negative effects of lead exposure on human health have attracted widespread attention. Our present study focused on assessing the relationship between urinary lead levels (ULL) and the risk of kidney stones in US adults.Methods We used data from NHANES 2007–2018 for this cross-sectional study, where participants had complete data on ULL and kidney stones. The correlation between ULL and kidney stones was explored by weighted multiple logistic regression analysis. In addition, we also performed subgroup analysis and interaction tests.Results A total of 8325 subjects were included, and the prevalence of kidney stones was 9.90%. In the fully adjusted model, we observed a positive association between ULL and the risk of kidney stones (OR:1.07, 95% CI: 1.01–1.14, p = 0.03). Participants in the highest quartile of ULL had a 64% higher risk of kidney stones than those in the lowest quartile of ULL (OR:1.64, 95% CI: 1.05–2.57, p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis and interaction test indicated that the association between ULL and the risk of kidney stones was similar in different population settings.Conclusion ULL was associated with an increased likelihood of kidney stones.