Urinary composition in men and women and the risk of urolithiasis.

Urinary concentrations of certain biochemical constituents that play an active role in stone formation were determined in 2 h urine collections in healthy men and women (at four phases of the estrous cycle) to elucidate the sex difference in the incidence of urolithiasis. The excretion of the lithogenic substance, calcium, was higher in men than in women during phase I (p less than 0.01) and phase II (p less than 0.05) of the estrous cycle. Oxalate excretion was marginally elevated in men compared to women during each phase. Urinary citrate was lower in men compared to women during each phase (p less than 0.05). Uric acid excretion was lower (p less than 0.05) in men compared with phase I and phase III in women. Estrous phase-related alterations were also observed in the excretion of calcium and citrate in women. The data suggest that low concentrations of calcium and oxalate with an elevated citrate excretion might be responsible for the reduced risk of stone disease in women compared to men.