A Healthier Lifestyle May Lower the Risk of Kidney Stones
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Introduction
Kidney stones are painful, common, and often come back. Around 10% of adults may experience them at some point, and the numbers are rising. But what if making small improvements in your daily habits could reduce your risk? A recent study looked into this by using a new health score called Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9)—a tool that covers physical and mental well-being. The findings show that better scores are linked to fewer kidney stones.
What Is Life’s Crucial 9?
The LC9 score is an expanded version of the American Heart Association’s "Life’s Essential 8" framework. It includes:
- Healthy eating
- Regular physical activity
- Not smoking
- Getting enough sleep
- Healthy weight (BMI)
- Normal blood pressure
- Normal blood sugar
- Healthy cholesterol levels
- Plus one more important factor: mental health (depression status)
This updated score gives a fuller picture of overall health by including both physical and emotional well-being.
How Lifestyle Affects Kidney Stones
Using health data from over 24,000 U.S. adults, researchers found that higher LC9 scores were linked to a lower chance of getting kidney stones, and also a lower risk of them coming back.
Here’s what they noticed:
- For every 1-point increase in the LC9 score, the risk of kidney stones dropped by 1.2%.
- People with the highest LC9 scores had significantly fewer kidney stones than those with lower scores.
- The risk of repeat kidney stones also dropped sharply among those with high LC9 scores, especially beyond a certain threshold.
This means that better daily habits—not just one or two changes—may work together to protect your kidneys.
Mental Health Plays a Role Too
One key difference in the LC9 score is the addition of depression. Poor mental health can affect sleep, appetite, motivation to exercise, and even stress hormone levels. These, in turn, may contribute to changes in the body that increase the risk of kidney stones. Including mental health in the score helps to better understand the full picture.
What You Can Do
The good news is that each of the nine areas in LC9 can be improved with small, steady changes. Here are a few simple tips:
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Get 7–9 hours of quality sleep
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week
- Reduce sugary and salty processed foods
- Manage stress and seek help for mental well-being
- Avoid smoking and limit alcohol
- Check your blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol regularly
Conclusion
A better lifestyle doesn’t just help your heart—it may protect your kidneys too. The LC9 score reminds us that health is not one thing—it’s everything working together. Improving your daily habits, including how you take care of your mind, could help lower your risk of kidney stones and support your overall well-being.