Exam LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning topic 1 question 240 discussion

Actual exam question from Test Prep's LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning

Question #: 240
Topic #: 1

[All LSAT Section 1 Logical Reasoning Questions]

One way kidney stones can form is when urine produced in the kidneys is overly concentrated with calcium or oxalate. Reducing dietary calcium has been thought, therefore, to decrease the likelihood that calcium will concentrate and form additional stones. Oddly enough, for many people the chances of recurrence are decreased by increasing calcium intake.
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above?

A. Laboratory studies on animals with kidney stones reveal that they rarely get additional stones once calcium supplements are added to the diet.
B. Increasing dietary oxalate while reducing dietary calcium does not reduce the chances of kidney stone recurrence.
C. Kidney stone development is sometimes the result of an inherited disorder that can result in excessive production of calcium and oxalate.
D. Increasing calcium intake increases the amount of calcium eliminated through the intestines, which decreases the amount to be filtered by the kidneys.
E. Some kidney stones are composed of uric acid rather than a combination of calcium and oxalate.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: E 🗳️
"Resolve the apparent discrepancy" in the stem signals a Paradox question, so we need to locate the mystery, paraphrase it in user-friendly terms, and think about possible solutions. Why, if excess calcium in the urine forms kidney stones, is the chance of recurrence decreased by adding more calcium to ones diet? It may seem that more calcium in the diet would mean more in the urine, but nowhere does it say that the amount of calcium in the urine is directly proportional to the amount of calcium one consumes. Perhaps theres a mechanism that causes an increase in dietary calcium to lead to a decrease in urinary calcium. Perhaps increasing calcium intake has some other, unmentioned effect, which reduces the chances that calcium in the urine will form stones. D. provides such an alternative: If increasing calcium intake increases calcium elimination in the intestines, and causes less calcium to go to the kidneys, then its much easier to understand how increasing calcium intake can actually decrease the chances that new stones will form.

by [deleted] at March 9, 2025, 1:36 p.m.

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