Related Experiment Videos
Urolithiasis in Tennessee: an occupational window into a regional problem
American Journal of Public Health
|May 1, 1991
Summary
Urinary tract stone prevalence is significantly higher in the southeastern US, with risk factors including family history and urinary calcium-oxalate saturation. This highlights a regional "stone belt" requiring further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Urology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Urinary tract stones are suspected to be more prevalent in the southeastern US.
- However, the incidence and risk factors for stone formation in this region remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence, incidence, and cumulative incidence of urinary tract stones.
- To identify biochemical risk factors associated with lithogenesis in eastern Tennessee.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted in three defined occupational populations in eastern Tennessee.
- Assessed stone prevalence, incidence, and cumulative incidence.
- Measured biochemical risk factors for lithogenesis.
Main Results:
- Age-adjusted stone prevalence in Tennessee was 18.5%, significantly higher than the US national average (7.7%).
- Cumulative incidence by age 65 was 27.8%, the highest reported globally.
- Key risk factors identified: age, family history, and high urinary calcium-oxalate saturation (CAOX).
- Biochemical factors included hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, and low urine volume.
Conclusions:
- The southeastern US may represent a distinct geographic region with high urinary stone incidence, termed a "stone belt."
- Further research is needed to define the boundaries of this "stone belt."
- Genetic and dietary factors should be explored to explain the observed regional differences in stone formation.