Impact of Sodium Bicarbonate on 24-hour Urine Parameters in Hypocitriuric and Uric Acid Stone Formers

April 19, 2024 updated by: Ralph Victor Clayman, University of California, Irvine
The incidence of kidney stone disease continues to rise globally. Although the treatment of kidney stone disease has dramatically improved in recent years, surgical management remains invasive and expensive. Patients who develop kidney stones are at high risk of recurrence during their lifetime; therefore, prevention of stones should be a primary focus. Low levels of citrate and acidic urine are risk factors for the formation of kidney stones such as calcium oxalate and uric acid, respectively. Calcium oxalate stones are the predominant stone composition in the United States, accounting for over 2/3rds of stones. Citrate is a key inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal formation and thus increasing it in the urine of a calcium oxalate stone former is quite beneficial. Uric acid stones account for approximately 10 percent of all stone types. These stones form primarily due to an acidic urinary environment which is a prerequisite for crystal formation. Common medications for stone formers include potassium citrate which help to make the urine more alkaline. Although effective, these medications have side effects and may prove to be too expensive (upwards of $450/month). Consuming baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) may prove to be an inexpensive ($0.34/month) equally effective alternative with respect to increasing urinary citrate levels and alkalinizing the urine. Investigators hypothesize that twice a day oral baking soda in a liquid medium (e.g., water, orange juice, soda, etc.) can be an effective, and inexpensive alternative to urocit K with regard to alkalinizing the urine and raising urinary citrate levels.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The incidence and prevalence of kidney stone disease has continually increased in both developed and underdeveloped countries. With the surge in cases, the cost of treatment has also increased substantially. In 2014, it has been reported that treatment of kidney stones cost a total of 2.81 billion USD, and this is projected to increase by 1.24 billion USD per year. Although there has been great technological advancement in surgical treatment of kidney stones, such as minimally invasive surgery, the rate of recurrence is unfortunately high among stone formers, upwards of 50 percent at 5-10 years. Recurring stone disease results in more frequent surgical interventions and further expense. Thus, there is an increasing need for primary stone prevention.

Kidney stones have varying compositions with the most common being calcium oxalate. Uric acid stones are the third most common type of stone and account for 10 percent of all stone formers. One of the common abnormalities for patients with calcium oxalate stones, is low citrate levels in the urine. Citrate is the primary inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal formation, growth, and aggregation. As such, regimens to increase urinary citrate have been undertaken. The most common drug used in this regard is potassium citrate (i.e., Urocit K). While effective, the drug remains costly with prescription costs ranging as high as $450/month. With regard to uric acid stone formation, a prerequisite is an acidic urine given that the pKa for uric acid is a pH of 5.5; once the pH is above 6.0, uric acid stones do not form. Indeed, the uric acid stone is the only one that can be dissolved if one is able to raise the pH to 6.5 -7.0.

Current medical therapy for hypocitraturia in patients with calcium oxalate stones, is the use of a slow-release tablet of potassium citrate (e.g., UrocitK). Current medical therapy for uric acid stone formers is likewise potassium citrate as it will raise the urine pH. A prescription of potassium citrate with the typical dosage of 30 meq twice a day can cost the patient upwards of $450/month. Additionally, potassium citrate tablets are associated with adverse effects such as nausea and diarrhea with additional concerns with respect to the potassium load among patients with poor renal function. Furthermore, the wax matrix tablets are large in size and difficult to swallow.

Pinheiro et al. in a prior study demonstrated that sodium bicarbonate in tablet form at a dose of 60 milliequivalent (mEq) per day was comparable to Urocit-K in increasing urinary pH and urinary citrate levels in calcium stone forming hypocitriuric patients. The study was limited by a small sample size (n=16) and short duration of therapy (3 days). Despite these favorable results, over the ensuing decade, there has been minimal interest in the use of sodium bicarbonate as a preventative treatment in stone formers who are hypocitriuric or uric acid stone formers.

Baking soda is a common household item and is openly available throughout the world in most grocery stores. The main component of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Various studies have shown that a teaspoon of baking soda (4.8g) has an equivalent of 59 mEq of sodium bicarbonate. A pound of baking soda, or 96 teaspoons, costs $1 which reduces the cost of a daily dosage of 60 mEq to less than a penny. The cost of 60 mEq (seven 650 mg Pills) of Sodium Bicarbonate in pill form is 15 cents.

Investigators hypothesize that the use of baking soda in stone formers with calcium oxalate associated hypocitraturia or with uric acid stones will increase urinary citrate and increase urine pH to the benefit of both patient groups. If proven effective, this approach could markedly lower the risk of stone formation in calcium oxalate and uric acid stone formers, while providing an inexpensive solution on a global level to an otherwise very expensive and debilitating ailment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Phase

  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Renai Yoon, B.S.
  • Phone Number: 7144568176
  • Email: yoonrh@uci.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Orange, California, United States, 92868
        • University of California, Irvine Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • > 18 years of age and < 80 years of age,
  • Hypocitriuric (<320 mg/24 hours), Calcium Oxalate Stone or Uric Acid stone formers, currently on Urocit-K therapy as the standard of care.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female <18 years old or > 80 years old.
  • Currently taking thiazides or ACE inhibitor medications
  • Pregnant women.
  • Women who are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed during study period
  • History of abnormal renal function (defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), active urinary tract infection, diabetes, cystinuria, renal tubular acidosis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, primary hyperparathyroidism, peptic ulcer disease.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Urocit-K, then Baking Soda
After being off Urocit-K for two weeks, participants will collect two 24-hour urine tests to document hypocitraturia or low urine pH for calcium oxalate or uric acid stone formers, respectively. Participants will take Urocit-K 30 mEq AM and 30 mEq PM for four-weeks. During the last two days of the four-week drug period, two 24-hour urine collections will be obtained, and the participants will enter another washout period of two weeks before switching over to Baking Soda dissolved in up to 250 mL of water ½ teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in AM and ½ Teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in PM for four weeks. During the last two days of this study arm, two 24-hour urine collections will be obtained. A basic metabolic panel blood test will be obtained at the end of the study arm.
Drug: Potassium citrate
Urocit-K 30 mEQ orally taken in the morning and evening.
Other Names:
  • Urocit-K
Drug: Sodium bicarbonate
Baking Soda dissolved in up to 250 mL of water ½ teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in the morning and ½ Teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in the evening.
Other Names:
  • Baking Soda
Experimental: Baking Soda, then Urocit-K
After being off Urocit-K for two weeks, participants will collect two 24-hour urine tests to document hypocitraturia or low urine pH for calcium oxalate or uric acid stone formers, respectively. Participants will take Baking Soda dissolved in up to 250 mL of water ½ teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in AM and ½ Teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in PM for four weeks. During the last two days of the four-week drug period, two 24-hour urine collections will be obtained, and the participants will enter another washout period of two weeks before switching over to Urocit-K 30 mEq AM and 30 mEq PM for four weeks. During the last two days of this study arm, two 24-hour urine collections will be obtained. A basic metabolic panel blood test will be obtained at the end of the study arm.
Drug: Potassium citrate
Urocit-K 30 mEQ orally taken in the morning and evening.
Other Names:
  • Urocit-K
Drug: Sodium bicarbonate
Baking Soda dissolved in up to 250 mL of water ½ teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in the morning and ½ Teaspoon (29.5 mEq) in the evening.
Other Names:
  • Baking Soda

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in 24-hour Urinary pH
Time Frame: 12 weeks

The first primary outcome will be the change in urinary pH determined from the 24-hour urine analysis test conducted by Litholink®.

Outcome variable: 24-hour urine pH greater than 6 (reference range from 5.8 to 6.2 pH).
12 weeks
Change in 24-hour Urinary Citrate
Time Frame: 12 weeks

The second primary outcome will be the change in urinary citrate determined from the 24-hour urine analysis test conducted by Litholink®.

Outcome variable: 24-hour urine citrate greater than 450 milligrams per 24-hour (320 to 1,240 milligrams per 24-hour).
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Supersaturation of Calcium Oxalate
Time Frame: 12 weeks

The first secondary outcome will be the change in urinary supersaturation, specifically calcium oxalate, determined from the 24-hour urine analysis test conducted by Litholink®.

Outcome variables: Supersaturation of calcium oxalate less than 4.00 supersaturation units (reference range from 6-10 supersaturation units).
12 weeks
Change in Supersaturation of Uric acid
Time Frame: 12 weeks

The second secondary outcome will be the change in urinary supersaturation, specifically uric acid, determined from the 24-hour urine analysis test conducted by Litholink®.

Outcome variables: Supersaturation of uric acid less than 1.00 supersaturation units (reference range from 0 to 1.00 supersaturation units).
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of California, Irvine

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ralph V Clayman, MD, University of California, Irvine
  • Study Director: Sohrab N Ali, M.D, University of California, Irvine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 7, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 21, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

March 28, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 24, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2024

Last Verified

April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2405

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There is no plan to share IPD.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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