Association between risk-weighted apolipoprotein B and prevalent kidney stones: a retrospective case-control study

Objective To investigate the association between risk-weighted apolipoprotein B (RW-apoB) levels and prevalent kidney stones. Methods This retrospective case-control study included 761 subjects, comprising a non-stone group ( n = 522) and an incident kidney stone group confirmed strictly by non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) ( n = 239). Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to evaluate the association between RW-apoB and prevalent kidney stones. To address unmeasured confounding from potential lipid-lowering therapies, a sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding individuals with comorbid hypertension and diabetes. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to assess the stability of this association across different clinical characteristics. Results Baseline analysis revealed that RW-apoB levels in the kidney stone group were significantly higher than those in the non-stone group (95.89 ± 28.80 vs. 88.52 ± 24.42, p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that continuously elevated RW-apoB levels were significantly associated with prevalent kidney stones (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.02). In the strict sensitivity analysis excluding hypertensive and diabetic patients, this positive association remained consistent (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.03). Furthermore, stratified analysis demonstrated that this positive association between RW-apoB and kidney stones remained relatively consistent across subgroups defined by age, gender, and metabolic comorbidities. Conclusions Higher RW-apoB was associated with prevalent kidney-stone status after adjustment for measured clinical covariates.