In the past two decades, major breakthroughs that improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and therapy of kidney stones (KS) have been lacking. The disease continues to be challenging for patients, physicians, and healthcare systems alike. In this context, epidemiological studies are striving to elucidate the worldwide changes in the patterns and the burden of the disease and identify modifiable risk factors that contribute to the development of kidney stones. Our expanding knowledge of the epidemiology of kidney stones is of paramount importance and largely upgrades the modern management of the disease. In this paper, we review the variables affecting prevalence and incidence, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, occupation, climate, geography, systemic diseases, diabetes, vascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and dietary risk factors relevant to kidney stones.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 2023 Feb 02*** epublish ***
Kyriaki Stamatelou, David S Goldfarb
"MESOGEIOS" Nephrology Center, Haidari and Nephros.eu Private Clinic, 11527 Athens, Greece., Nephrology Division, NYU Langone Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY Nephrology Section, NY Harbor VA Healthcare System, New York, NY 10016, USA.