Kidney Stone Formation Increased With Carnivore Diet

The advent of social media has added to the interest in fad diets. The surge of support for these diets, including the carnivore diet, is based solely on historical and anecdotal evidence. While diets higher in animal protein run counter to current guidelines for the management of kidney stones, there are few data available on the effect of the carnivore diet on kidney stones.

During a presentation of a poster titled You Are What You Eat: Should it Be all Meat? Hannah E. Wilson, MD-PhD candidate, and Sharon M. Moe, MD, of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, described a case study of a patient with a history of kidney stone disease, gout, and hypertension. The poster was presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024.

The male patient was 73 years of age and had been referred to nephrology care. At 45 years old, kidney stones were first seen incidentally on x-ray, followed by first stone passage at 55 years and nine lithotripsies. In 2012, the patient was referred to stone clinic for 90% calcium oxalate/10% calcium phosphate stones and initiated hydrochlorothiazide as well as a diet calling for low sodium and low protein. Due to continued stone growth, he was increased to 25 mg chlorthalidone in 2018; following the dose increase he no longer formed additional stones.