Editing Kidney stone disease (section)

=== Hypocitraturia ===
Hypocitraturia or low urinary-citrate excretion (variably defined as less than 320&nbsp;mg/day) can be a contributing cause of kidney stones in up to 2/3 of cases. The protective role of citrate is linked to several mechanisms; citrate reduces urinary supersaturation of calcium salts by forming soluble complexes with calcium ions and by inhibiting crystal growth and aggregation. Therapy with [[potassium citrate]]  is commonly prescribed in clinical practice to increase urinary citrate and to reduce stone formation rates. [[Alkali citrate]] is also used to increase urine citrate levels. It can be prescribed or found over-the-counter in pill, liquid or powder form.<ref>{{cite web |title=Educate Your Patients about Kidney Stones |url=https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/moonstone-professional-education-teaching-card-final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026133550/https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/moonstone-professional-education-teaching-card-final.pdf |archive-date=2020-10-26 |url-status=live |website=kidney.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Caudarella R, Vescini F | title = Urinary citrate and renal stone disease: the preventive role of alkali citrate treatment | journal = Archivio Italiano di Urologia, Andrologia | volume = 81 | issue = 3 | pages = 182–7 | date = September 2009 | pmid = 19911682 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/38087757 }}</ref>