OBJECTIVES:

To compare the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients treated with an unmodified HM-3 lithotripter (USWL) and a second-generation modified HM-3 lithotripter (MSWL) 20 years ago at our Centre with that in the provincial population. To determine whether the type of lithotripter was differentially associated with the development of these sequelae.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Retrospective review of 727 patients at Vancouver General Hospital who underwent shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) between 1985 and 1989. Our study group was compared with Statistics Canada data describing the provincial prevalence of these diseases. Multivariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS:

The response rate was 37.3%. There was a greater proportion of overweight and obese individuals in the study group compared with the provincial average. In univariate analysis, lithotripsy with an unmodified HM-3 (USWL) was associated with a higher rate of DM than the provincial rate, whereas lithotripsy with the modified HM-3 (MSWL) was not. Hypertension was more prevalent in all lithotripsy subjects. On multivariate analysis the type of lithotripter was not associated with the development of either sequela.

CONCLUSIONS:

No association between lithotripsy and the development of either DM or hypertension in a multivariate analysis Metabolic syndrome may have elevated the prevalence of DM and hypertension observed in our subjects on univariate analysis, which is in keeping with the fact that our study population had statistically higher body mass indices than the provincial rate. Lithotripsy using the HM-3 was not associated with increased DM or hypertension.

© 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.