Posted on 04/10/2006 3:16:21 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON, April 9 — The use of shock waves to pulverize kidney stones into sand-like material significantly increases the risk for diabetes and high blood pressure later in life, according to the longest follow-up study of the popular therapy.
In the study, which is to be published on Monday from the Mayo Clinic, patients who underwent the pulverizing procedure, known as lithotripsy, developed diabetes at almost four times the rate of those whose kidney stones were treated by other methods. The lithotripsy group also developed high blood pressure about 50 percent more often than a group treated by other methods, the study in The Journal of Urology found.
The diabetes risk was related in part to the number of shocks given, said the Mayo Clinic researchers in Rochester, Minn. The risk for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, was related to treatment of stones in both kidneys but not to the total number of shocks, which can number in the hundreds or thousands.
The Mayo Clinic issued a news release saying that its researchers are "sounding an alert about the side effects of shock wave lithotripsy" and that the findings are "completely new."
The findings also were surprising because earlier studies had not identified diabetes as a complication of the procedure, said Dr. Amy Krambeck, a co-author of the study. There have been conflicting findings about hypertension as a complication.
Dr. Krambeck said her team wanted to find an animal model to determine precisely how the shock waves caused diabetes and hypertension.
For now, the Mayo researchers hypothesize that shock wave therapy for kidney stones increases the risk for diabetes by damaging the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, a gland through which the shock waves may pass. They also theorize that shock waves may increase the risk for hypertension...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Jack Daniel's works for me, and it's a lot cheaper than a hospital visit.
VA has been doing this to paralzyed Vets for years....
"Jack Daniel's works for me, and it's a lot cheaper than a hospital visit."
I tried that, actually. No dice.
I've had it twice. It beats any alternative procedure I am aware of.
bump
I may try that for real if I EVER get another kidney stone. $5,500 for emergency room visit plus lots of pain. I pray I don't get another one-EVER!!
I've never had a kidney stone but from what I've heard from those who have, I think I'd opt for whatever gave me the fastest relief.
Let's see.... $5,500 buys... oh, what? Well, several hundred fifths of JD, so... yes - we can expect the stone to dissolve, hopefully before the liver, but if the ol' "kill or cure" results in the former rather than the latter, then, hey, that's an end to problems, too!
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
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