Urinary stone epidemiology in Spain and worldwide

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Nephrology
• Public Health

Background:

• Urinary stone disease incidence and prevalence are rising globally, with significant increases observed in the US and Spain.
• The 40-60 age group experiences the highest incidence, and recent trends show no sex-based differences, possibly linked to diet and obesity.
• While more common in Western countries, high prevalence is also noted in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the current global trends in urinary stone disease.
• To examine the composition and demographic variations of urinary stones.
• To highlight the differences in understanding pediatric versus adult urinary stone disease.

Main Methods:

• Review of epidemiological data on urinary stone prevalence and incidence.
• Analysis of lithiasis composition trends.
• Comparison of disease characteristics in adults and children.

Main Results:

• Global prevalence has increased significantly over the past decades.
• Calcium oxalate stones are the most common type (70-80%), with a rise in uric acid stones and a decline in infective stones.
• In children, stones are rare in early life, becoming more prevalent from adolescence, with calcium oxalate being the most common type (50-60%).

Conclusions:

• Urinary stone disease is a growing global health concern with shifting etiological factors.
• Calcium oxalate remains the predominant stone type, but uric acid stones are increasing.
• Etiopathogenic factors for urinary stones in children are less understood than in adults.