Kidney stones can be excruciatingly painful, and understanding the factors that contribute to their development is crucial. A recent study conducted in the UK aimed to explore the connection between sedentary behaviours, glucosamine use, and the risk of kidney stones. This comprehensive study highlights the negative impact of sedentary behaviours, including TV-watching, driving, and non-occupational computer use, on the risk of developing kidney stones.

The study was published in Preventive Medicine by Xiaoqin Gan and colleagues. The study analysed data from 473,225 participants in the UK Biobank who had no history of kidney stones at the beginning of the research. Sedentary behaviour was defined as the combined time spent watching TV, driving, and using a computer for non-occupational purposes. The primary outcome investigated was the occurrence of new-onset kidney stones.
Over a median follow-up period of 12.0 years, the study recorded 5,528 cases of kidney stones. The results were striking: all major sedentary behaviours, including TV-watching, driving, and non-occupational computer use, were significantly associated with an increased risk of kidney stones (all p for trend < 0.05). Notably, individuals with a total sedentary time of 3.5 hours or more per day had a significantly higher risk of developing kidney stones compared to those with less sedentary time (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10–1.27).
However, what sets this study apart is its exploration of glucosamine use. It revealed that regular glucosamine users had a significantly lower risk of new-onset kidney stones, but this effect was limited to individuals with less than 3.5 hours of total sedentary time per day (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59–0.86). On the other hand, those with 3.5 hours or more of sedentary time did not experience a significant reduction in kidney stone risk (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.91–1.08; p-interaction = 0.001). Importantly, there was a dose-response relationship between glucosamine use and kidney stones risk among participants with less sedentary time (p for trend < 0.001).
Interestingly, the study also looked into whether genetic factors influenced this association. However, it found that genetic risks of kidney stones did not significantly modify the relationship between sedentary behaviour, glucosamine use, and kidney stone risk. Moreover, it suggests that regular glucosamine use may lower the risk of kidney stones, particularly in individuals with less sedentary time. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and considering dietary supplements like glucosamine for those at risk of kidney stones. Further research in this area could lead to a better understanding of preventive measures for kidney stone formation.
Reference:
Gan, X., Zhou, C., He, P., Ye, Z., Liu, M., Yang, S., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Huang, Y., Xiang, H., & Qin, X. Inverse association of glucosamine use and risk of new-onset kidney stones in UK adults with less sedentary time. Preventive Medicine,2023;177(107738):107738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107738