Bone Mineral Density and Vascular Calcifications in the Population of Lithiasis Patients With Idiopathic Hypercalciuria

In industrialized countries, it is estimated that around 10% of the population suffers from nephrolithiasis (NL). Numerous recent epidemiological studies report that the prevalence and incidence of NL continue to increase, with a prevalence that has nearly doubled over the past two decades. A patient who presented with a first episode of renal lithiasis has an estimated recurrence rate of nearly 50% at 5 years in adults. It is therefore wiser to consider NL as a chronic pathology and not as a simple isolated attack of painful crisis. NL therefore represents a real public health problem with a significant impact on the quality of life of patients, with considerable socio-economic repercussions. In clinical practice, calcium lithiasis is the most common and occurs in 90% of cases.The stones mainly consist of calcium oxalate (whewellite, weddellite) but also calcium phosphate (carbapatite, brushite). One of the risk factors for calcium lithiasis is the over-saturation of urine with calcium, which can lead to crystal formation. The most common metabolic abnormality found in patients with NL is hypercalciuria.It is defined as an increased excretion of urinary calcium.We can first distinguish hypercalciuria secondary to another pathology such as primary hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, distal tubular acidosis, hypervitaminosis D, immobilization... from idiopathic hypercalciuria (HI), at the origin of so-called primary calcium lithiasis.HI is estimated to affect 30-60% of adults with NL. Idiopathic hypercalciuria is associated with low bone mineral density. Patients with NL have significantly lower T-score values in the vertebrae, hips, and femoral necks.Patients with NL have an increased risk of fractures and are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis. It is currently proposed that idiopathic hypercalciuria may be the cause of the decrease in bone mineral density in lithiasis patients.This bone demineralization appears to be associated with an increase in vascul