Adults with the highest dietary niacin intake had a 22% lower risk of developing kidney stones compared with those with the lowest intake, according to a recent study. 

Jian Wu of the Department of Urology at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in Changsha, China, investigated the association between dietary niacin intake and kidney stone prevalence among U.S. adults and aimed to clarify the limited evidence on how dietary niacin, an essential water-soluble vitamin, influences kidney stone formation. Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018, this cross-sectional analysis included 28,508 participants with complete dietary and kidney stone history data. The study was recently published in Scientific Reports.

Dietary niacin intake was assessed using the first of two 24-hour dietary recall interviews that focused solely on dietary sources, excluding supplements. Participants were stratified into quartiles based on their niacin consumption. The lowest quartile served as the reference group. Kidney stone history was determined through participant responses to the question, “Have you ever had kidney stones?” Dr. Wu employed weighted logistic regression models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, and stratified analyses to evaluate the relationship between dietary niacin intake and kidney stone risk. Covariates included demographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity), socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity), body mass index, total energy and water intake, dietary calcium and caffeine consumption, hypertension, and diabetes.

Results demonstrated an inverse association between dietary niacin intake and kidney stone prevalence. In fully adjusted models, participants in the highest quartile of dietary niacin intake had significantly lower odds of developing kidney stones compared with those in the lowest quartile (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63–0.97; P = .027). When treated as a continuous variable, higher niacin intake was associated with a reduced risk of kidney stones (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.71–0.96; P = .013). The RCS analysis demonstrated an L-shaped association between niacin intake and kidney stone risk (P for nonlinearity = .047).

Stratified analyses indicated that the inverse association was more pronounced in participants younger than 60 years (P for interaction < .05). Sensitivity analyses, which excluded participants with missing covariate data, reinforced these findings (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.69–0.99; P = .043).

Dr. Wu concluded that higher dietary niacin intake is associated with a reduced risk of kidney stones, particularly in adults younger than 60 years. Although the cross-sectional nature of the study limits causal interpretation, these findings suggest that adequate dietary niacin intake may serve as a potential preventive measure against kidney stones. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these results and investigate underlying mechanisms.

No competing interests were declared in the study.