[Epidemiology of urolithiasis]

Abstract

Changes in stone composition according to time are commonly reported. Up to now, calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis was found constantly increasing in industrialized countries. In France, over the past two decades, we found that calcium oxalate tend to a plateau in males with a significant decrease of weddellite stones while the occurrence of uric acid calculi was increasing, in touch with the spread of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In parallel, an increase in brushite stones was observed in females and a decrease of calculi mainly composed of struvite. Such an evolution reflects changes in lithogenic risk factors according to changes in dietary habits, life style and socio-economic level of the population.