[Risk factors for urolithiasis]

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Urology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The prevalence and incidence of kidney stones (urolithiasis) are rising globally.
• Kidney stones are associated with significant morbidity, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and cardiovascular diseases.
• Effective risk stratification is crucial for managing patients with kidney stones, particularly high-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the known risk factors for nephrolithiasis.
• To evaluate the current prediction scores for assessing kidney stone recurrence risk.
• To highlight the need for further research on the efficacy of these risk prediction tools.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on urolithiasis prevalence, incidence, and risk factors.
• Analysis of existing prediction scores for kidney stone recurrence.
• Synthesis of evidence regarding the clinical utility of risk stratification tools.

Main Results:

• Identified a wide range of risk factors for kidney stones, encompassing general factors (e.g., young age, family history), genetic/acquired diseases, and medications.
• Noted the development of several prediction scores to estimate recurrence risk in stone formers.
• Observed limited investigation and validation of these prediction scores in clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• Kidney stone formation is multifactorial, necessitating comprehensive risk assessment.
• Existing prediction scores show potential but require further robust validation to reliably guide clinical management and patient counseling.
• Future research should focus on validating and refining risk stratification tools for kidney stone formers.