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Are Kidney Stones Hereditary?

At the same time, one or more of these other elements can tip the scales just as significantly when it comes to kidney stones: age (those over 40 are more susceptible); gender (male, more than female); dehydration; poor dietary choices; digestive diseases; other select medical conditions.

One Out of Four

Overall, only one in four kidney stone problems diagnosed in the United States involves someone with a family history of the condition. This means, obviously, that 75% of sufferers are not facing their issues because of heredity.

The much bigger culprit these days with regards to inching the incidence of kidney stones up is diabetes. This condition can especially lead younger women to more prominently develop kidney stones. There has also in the U.S. been an alarming increase of incidence among young children. Though still statistically small when compared to many other ailments, kidney stones are becoming more and more of a problem, fed by in some cases complications after weight loss surgeries such as gastric bypass.

Ancient Origins

Evidence of kidney stones was found by scientists examining a 7,000-year-old Egyptian mummy, proving that the condition has been around for perhaps much longer than most people suspect. However, today's complicated food advancements and personal lifestyle choices can abet the development of the condition.

For example, in 2008, the addition of melamine to milk in China caused a sharp increase in kidney stones among children. Similarly, eating too much fructose can lead to the metabolism to churn out too much oxalate and thus increase the likelihood of stones.