Stone disease epidemiology

People suffering stone disease - affects up to 10 percent
The urinary or kidney stones (urolithiasis - nephrolithiasis) in Germany has long had the character of a social disease, like diabetes mellitus or the rheumatic diseases. About 5 to 10 percent of all Germans suffer at some point in their lives to the complaints of a urinary stone. Even children aged 5-6 years may already be affected. Although kidney stones are often excreted by itself, the probability to get one again, quite large. Untreated, the probability of incidence is about 50 to 60 percent. Men are affected three times more frequently than women.


Meat-containing diet is the primary cause
The stone disease is one of the typical diseases of civilization. The decisive factor in the development of stones is the increased supply of animal protein. Meat consumption in the industrialized countries are much higher than elsewhere. Climatic conditions seem to have a role in the formation of stones to be. In warmer countries the disease is less common. Even in industrialized countries, an accumulation of disease is during the summer months. In autumn and winter, the new cases are rare.


Not always the cause can be found
Urolithiasis in the strict sense does not own medical disease but a symptom. Stones are an end product of one or more other higher-level causes. Although you can often find the stones diagnosis. But what factors have caused the stone formation is not always immediately apparent. Thus, although the stones, and so often the symptoms, recovery will be. The actual cause remains, however, and can lead to a new stone formation.