Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Epidemiology of Kidney Stones in the European Union

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Urolithiasis

Abstract

In Europe, prevalence and incidence of urolithiasis have increased markedly during the last decades. There seems to be an age and gender relation of both stone formation and stone composition. Calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones are the most common stone species throughout Europe. With regard to the crystalline forms of CaOx, there seems to be clear age differences, with calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) occurring significantly more often in young adults compared to calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), which increases continuously in frequency above the age of 40 years. Infection stones are on retreat in Europe, although there are regional differences, which might reflect differences in health care systems. Uric acid (UA) stone disease is on the rise in parallel with the rising incidence of metabolic syndrome. In general, recurrence rates are still high, and there is a need for more effective preventive measures. New pathophysiological evidence of calcium nephrolithiasis being a micro-environmental disease initiated by interstitial apatite crystal formation (Randall’s plaque) may lead to better prevention.

Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) is the most commonly used method for stone elimination in Europe, although endoscopic procedures due to technological developments are increasingly being used and in some centers, even dominate the treatment scenario. There is still a need for randomized controlled trials both with regard to stone eliminating procedures and preventive measures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Hughes P. Kidney stones epidemiology. Nephrology. 2007;12:26–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Curhan GC. Epidemiology of stone disease. Urol Clin North Am. 2007;34:287–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. European Commission Eurostat Yearbook 2011.http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/. Accessed on Dec 7, 2012.

  4. Rousad A, Pedrajas A. Estudiio epidemiolócico de la urolithiasis en Espana. Asociación Espanola de Urología. Grupo de Urolithiasis; 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Sánchez-Martin FM, Millán Rodríguez F, Esquena Fernández S, Segarra Tomás J, Rousaud Barón F, Martínez-Rodríguez F, et al. Incidencia y prevalencia de la urolithiasis en Espana: revision de los datos originales disponibles hasta la actualidad. Actas Urol Esp. 2007;31:511–20.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Trinchieri A, Coppi F, Montanari E, Del Nero A, Zanetti G, Pisani E. Increase in the prevalence of symptomatic upper urinary tract stones during the last ten years. Eur Urol. 2000;37:23–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hesse A, Brändle E, Wilbert D, Köhrmann K-U, Alken P. Study on the prevalence and incidence of Urolithiasis in Germany comparing the years 1979 vs. 2000. Eur Urol. 2003;44:709–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vahlensieck EW, Bach D, Hesse A. Incidence, prevalence and ­mortality of urolithiasis in the German Federal Republic. Urol Res. 1982;10:161–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hesse A, Siener R. Current aspects of epidemiology and nutrition in urinary stones. World J Urol. 1997;15:165–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Knoll T. Epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathophysiology of ­urolithiasis. Eur Urol Suppl. 2010;9:802–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Knoll T, Schubert AB, Fahlenkamp DF, Leusmann DB, Wendt-Nordahl G, Schubert G. Urolithiasis through the ages: data on more than 200,000 urinary stone analysis. J Urol. 2011;185:1304–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Daudon M, Doré J-C, Jubgers P, Lacour B. Changes in stone ­composition according to age and gender of patients: a multivariate epidemiological approach. Urol Res. 2004;32:241–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Galán JA, Conte A, Llobera A, Costa-Bauzá A, Grases F. A comparative study between etiological factors of calcium oxalate ­monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate urolithiasis. Urol Int. 1996;56:79–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Trinchieri A, Castelnuovo C, Lizzano R, Zanetti G. Calcium stone disease: a multiform reality. Urol Res. 2005;33:194–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Andreassen K, Poulsen AL, Olsen PR, Aabeck J, Osther PJ. Classification of urolithiasis in Denmark: A national survey. European Urology Meeting 2007;2(1):126.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Maurice-Estepa L, Levillian P, Lacour B, Daudon M. Crystalline phase differentiation in urinary calcium phosphate and magnesium phosphate calculi. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1999;33:299–302.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Daudon M, Labrunie M, Hennequin C, Lacour B, Jungers P. Relative influence of calcium and oxalate urine concentration on the risk of calcium oxalate crystallization. In: Jungers P, Daudon M, editors. Renal stone disease. Crystallization process, pathophysiology, ­metabolic disorders and prevention. Paris: Elsevier; 1997. p. 72.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Azadbakht L, Ezmaillzadeh A. Red meat intake is associated with metabolic syndrome and the plasma C-reactive protein ­concentration in women. J Nutr. 2009;139:335–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Traxer O, Lechevallier E, Saussine C, Daudon M, Haymann JP. Metabolic syndrome and urolithiasis. A new concept for the urologist. Prog Urol. 2008;18:828–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ahlstrand C, Tiselius HG. Recurrences during a 10-year follow-up after the first renal stone episode. Urol Res. 1990;18:397–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Siener R, Glatz S, Nicolay C, Hesse A. Prospective study on the efficacy of a selective treatment and risk factors for relapse in recurrent calcium oxalate stone patients. Eur Urol. 2003;44:467–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Osther PJ, Grenabo L, Haraldsson G, Holmberg G, Lindell O, Mogensen P, et al. Metabolic evaluation and medical management of upper urinary tract stone disease. Guidelines from the Scandinavian Cooperative Group for Urinary Stones. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1999;33:372–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Tiselius H-G. Epidemiology and medical management of stone ­disease. BJU Int. 2003;91:758–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Trinchieri A, Dormia G, Montanari Z, Zanetti G. Cystinuria: definition, epidemiology and clinical aspects. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2004;76(3):129–34.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Abate N, Chandalia M, Cabo-Chan Jr AV, Moe OW, Sakhaee K. The metabolic syndrome and uric acid nephrolithiasis: novel features of renal manifestation of insulin resistance. Kidney Int. 2004;65:386–92.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Cabello-Tomás ML, Garcia-Gómez AM, Guillén-Domiguez ML. Pilot screening programme for cystinuria in the Valencian Community. Eur J Epidemiol. 1999;15:681–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Schmidt C, Vester U, Hesse A, Lahme S, Lang F, Zerres K, Eggermann T, and Members of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pädiatrische Nephrologie. The population-specific distribution and frequencies of genomic variants in the SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 genes and their application in molecular genetic testing of cystinuria. Urol Res. 2004;32:75–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gambaro G, Feltrin GP, Lupo A, Bonfante L, D’Angelo A, Antonello A. Medullary sponge kidney (Lenarduzzi-Cacchi-Ricci disease): a Padua Medical School discovery in the 1930s. Kidney Int. 2006;69:663–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Laube M, Hess B, Terrier F, Vock P, Jaeger P. Prevalence of medullary sponge kidney in patients with and without nephrolithiasis. Praxis. 1995;84:1224–30.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Osther PJ, Bollerslev J, Hansen AB, Engel K, Kildeberg P. Pathophysiology of incomplete renal tubular acidosis in recurrent renal stone formers: evidence of disturbed calcium, bone and citrate metabolism. Urol Res. 1993;2:169–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Trinchieri A, Rovera F, Nespoli R. Clinical observations on 2086 patients with upper urinary tract stones. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 1996;68:251–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Evan AP, Lingeman JE, Coe FL, Worcester EM. Randall’s plaque of patients with nephrolithiasis begins in basement membranes of thin loops of Henle. J Clin Invest. 2003;111:607–16.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Stoller ML, Meng MV, Abrahams HM, Kane JP. The primary stone event: a new hypothesis involving a vascular etiology. J Urol. 2004;171:1920–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Tiselius HG. A hypothesis of calcium stone formation: an interpretation of stone research during the past decades. Urol Res. 2011;39:231–43. Epub 2011 Jan 19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. D’Armiento M, Autorino R, De Sio M. PCNL in Italy. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2010;82:26–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Siener R, Schade N, Nicolay C, von Unruh GE, Hesse A. The efficacy of dietary intervention on urinary risk factors for stone formation in recurrent calcium oxalate stone patients. J Urol. 2005;173:1601–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EAU Section of Urolithiasis (EULIS), Urological Research Center, Fredericia, Denmark

    Palle J. S. Osther M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Urology, Fredericia Hospital, Part of Hospital Littlebelt, Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, DK-7000, Fredericia, Denmark

    Palle J. S. Osther M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Palle J. S. Osther M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Palle J. S. Osther M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery Section of Urology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Jamsheer J. Talati

  2. Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, Solna, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

    Hans-Goran Tiselius

  3. , Syracuse University, Crouse Hospital, 1226 East Water Street, New York, 13210, New York, USA

    David M. Albala

  4. , Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China, People's Republic

    ZHANGQUN YE

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag London

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Osther, P.J.S. (2012). Epidemiology of Kidney Stones in the European Union. In: Talati, J., Tiselius, HG., Albala, D., YE, Z. (eds) Urolithiasis. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4387-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4387-1_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4383-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4387-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation