It’s estimated that one in 10 people will develop kidney stones at some point in their lives. This painful ailment accounts for a half million emergency room visits each year.

Now evidence is showing that people with kidney stones — particularly women — are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from China analyzed six studies, involving close to 50,000 people with kidney stones, and matched them with 3.56 million people who did not have the condition.

They found that people who suffer from kidney stones are at 40 percent greater risk for stroke and 19 percent more likely to develop heart disease.

The study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, also found that female sufferers were at particularly high risk of heart attack — a finding that turned up in other research published last year.

In that earlier study, researchers found that women with kidney stones were about 30 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease, an association that did not show up in men.

The researchers were unable to explain the gender difference, and speculated it may have something to do with hormones.

If you suffer from kidney stones, make sure your doctor knows about these findings and monitors you for heart disease.