Initially, scientists suspected a high dietary calcium intake of incre

Question

Initially, scientists suspected a high dietary calcium intake of increasing the risk of kidney stones. A high intake of calcium, however, reduces the urinary excretion of oxalate, which is thought to lower the risk. Therefore, the concept that a higher dietary calcium intake increases the risk of kidney stones, and the mechanism underlying their formation, required examination. Stanford researchers studied the relationship between dietary calcium intake and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones in a cohort of 35,119 men 40 to 75 years old who had no history of kidney stones. Dietary calcium was measured by means of a semi-quantitative foodfrequency questionnaire in 1998. During four years of follow-up, 535 cases of kidney stones were documented by LifeWork analysts. After adjustment for age, dietary calcium intake was inversely associated with the risk of stones; in fact, a high calcium intake decreased the risk of symptomatic kidney stones. Surprisingly, intake of animal protein was directly associated with the risk of stone formation.    1 
 1. The passage provides information on each of the following EXCEPT

A. the mechanism underlying the formation of kidney stones
B. the connection of animal protein to the risk of forming kidney stones
C. how dietary calctum was measured in the kidney stone study
D. the age range of the male kidney stone study participants
E. the number of documented cases of kidney stones during a specific time span

2 
 Consider each of the choices separately, and select all that apply.

2. In this study, according to the author, dietary calcium intake

A. was measured by means of a ser quantitative medical examination
B. was discovered to decrease the chance of symptomatic kidney stone formation, after adjustment for age
C. tight decrease excretion of oxalate through the urinary tract

3 
 3. The passage suggests that in conducting this medical study, researchers

A. drew few conclusions beforehand on the indeterminate outcome of their scientific research
B. discovered associations they had not been looking for
C. had little interest in calctum's affect on other organs apart from the kidneys
D. neglected researching how the intake of calctum can reduce urinary excretion of oxalate
E. overrated the affects of animal protein on the risk of stone formation.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

1. The passage provides information on each of the following EXCEPT

This question requires that you eliminate all the answer choices that are true to find the detail NOT covered in the passage. The correct answer is  (A)  because, while  “the mechanism underlying the formation of kidney stones”  is mentioned, the passage provides no information on that subject.

The connection of animal protein to the risk of forming kidney stones  (B)  1s explained in the sentence  “Surprisingly, intake of animal protein was directly associated with the risk of stone formation.”

The author says dietary calcium was measured in the kidney stone study  (C) “by means of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire in 1998.”  The age range of the male kidney stone study participants  (D)  is stated as  “40 to 75 years old.”  And the passages reports 535 documented cases of kidney stones during a specific time span  (E).

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

2. In this study, according to the author, dietary calcium intake

According to the author, dietary calcium intake  “was measured by means of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnatre,”  mot  “by means of a semi-quantitative medical examination.”  Therefore,  (A)  does not apply. Both choices  (B) , dietary calcium intake was discovered to decrease the chance of symptomatic kidney stone formation, after adjustment for age, and  (C) , dietary calcium intake might decrease excretion of oxalate through the urinary tract, are the conclusions of the study in the passage.

Answer: B,C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

3. The passage suggests that in conducting this medical study, researchers

Among the correct inferences that can be drawn from this passage 1s that researchers discovered associations they hadn’t been looking for  (B) , the cited example being  “surprisingly, intake of animal protein was directly associated with the risk of stone formation.”

Choice (A), “Researchers drew few conclusions beforehand on the indeterminate outcome of their scientific research”  may or may not be true, but the passage doesn’t confirm or contradict it.

Researchers may have  “had little interest in calcium’s affect on other organs apart from the kidneys,” (C) , but you can’t infer this from the passage because it says nothing about their study of other organs.

The study states that  “a high intake of calc1um...can reduce the urinary excretion of oxalate, which is thought to lower the risk  ,”  suggesting that this conclusion had already been reached and that these scientists were neither addressing nor neglecting that issue  (D) .

The passage doesn’t imply that the researchers overrated the affects of animal protein on the risk of stone formation  (E) , but rather says they were surprised by the result.

Answer: B

Initially, scientists suspected a high dietary calcium intake of incre

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards