National Kidney Foundation: New Research on Bacteria Could Change How We Understand Kidney Stones

NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is helping patients better understand new research that could change how scientists think about kidney stones while reinforcing the importance of proven prevention strategies available at Kidney Stones Hub.

According to NKF, kidney stones affect approximately one in 10 people during their lifetime and remain one of the most common and painful urologic conditions. The National Kidney Foundation encourages anyone who has experienced kidney stones—or wants to reduce their risk—to learn about kidney stone symptoms, prevention, treatment, and recurrence through the educational resources available at Kidney.org.

Key Takeaways

About Kidney Stones: Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys. Stones can also form downstream from the kidneys in the ureter (the tube that connects the kidney with the bladder) or the bladder. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball or, rarely, even larger.

Recognizing Kidney Stone Symptoms: Kidney stones often cause sudden, severe pain in the side, back, lower abdomen, or groin.

Protecting Kidney Health: Staying well-hydrated is one of the most effective ways to help prevent kidney stones, ideally resulting in at least 2 liters of urine or more daily.

Study Key Findings: New research suggests bacteria may play an active role in kidney stone formation even in the absence of a history of urinary tract infection.

About Kidney Stone Treatment

Some kidney stones pass naturally through the urinary tract, while others require medication or medical procedures for removal.

What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones can cause sudden and severe symptoms, especially when a stone blocks urine flow or moves through the urinary tract.

Common kidney stone symptoms include:

• Severe pain in the flank or one side of the back, lower abdomen, or groin
• Blood in the urine
• Urinary gravel or the sensation of sand-like stone material passing into the urine.
• Pain or burning during urination
• Frequent or urgent urination
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever or chills, which may indicate infection and require immediate medical attention

People experiencing symptoms of kidney stones should contact their healthcare professional or seek emergency medical care.

About Kidney Stone Treatment

Some kidney stones pass naturally through the urinary tract, while others require medication or medical procedures for removal.

How Can You Help Prevent Kidney Stones?

Although researchers continue studying the role bacteria may play in kidney stone formation, the National Kidney Foundation recommends following proven kidney stone prevention strategies.

These include:

• Drinking enough water every day to stay well hydrated, ideally resulting in 2 liters or more of urine daily.
• Following your healthcare professional's recommendations after a kidney stone
• Identifying your kidney stone type, when possible
• Making dietary changes based on your individual risk factors
• Taking prescribed medications when recommended
• Scheduling follow-up care to reduce the risk of future kidney stones

Many people who develop one kidney stone are at risk for another, making prevention especially important.

A new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study published in 2026 suggests bacteria may play a larger role in kidney stone formation than previously believed. For decades, experts have understood that most kidney stones develop when minerals and salts crystallize in the urine. The new findings indicate that bacteria and bacterial biofilms may also contribute to how some kidney stones form.

What Did the New Kidney Stone Study Find?

Researchers examined several types of kidney stones and found bacteria in two types of kidney stones called struvite stones and calcium stones, including many stones collected from people who did not have urinary tract infections.

The study found that:

• Bacteria were present inside kidney stones and on their surfaces.
• Microbes formed protective substances called biofilms.
• Biofilms may create a structure that allows minerals to build up and form kidney stones.
• Nearly half of the kidney stones studied from people without urinary tract infections still contained bacteria.

While additional research is needed, scientists believe these findings could eventually lead to new approaches for preventing recurrent kidney stones.

"This research challenges the longstanding belief that kidney stones are solely the result of chemical imbalances in urine," said Dr. Kirk Campbell, President of the National Kidney Foundation. "The findings suggest that bacteria may serve as a foundation for stone formation, creating new opportunities to better understand, prevent, and treat kidney stones."

Learn More About Kidney Stones at Kidney.org

The National Kidney Foundation provides free, evidence-based information about:

• Kidney stone symptoms
• Kidney stone causes
• Kidney stone prevention
• Kidney stone treatment
• Kidney stone diet recommendations
• Kidney stone recurrence
• When to see a doctor

Patients and caregivers can also listen to the National Kidney Foundation podcast, "How to Treat and Prevent Kidney Stones," and explore additional educational resources at Kidney.org.

Kidney Disease

In the United States, more than 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.  

About the National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about kidney disease, please visit www.kidney.org/.   

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation