Kidney stones are one of the most commonly heard of conditions. Almost everyone knows of someone who has had kidney stones at some point in their lives. This condition is also known by names like urinary stones, nephrolithiasis, urolithiasis, etc. The cases of kidney stones have been on a rise. Urolithiasis is already considered a common ailment affecting more than a million people per year in India. The trend around the world reveals a similar picture with an increasing number of cases in young adults and kids as well.
It is estimated that nephrolithiasis affects about 12% of the world’s population at some stage of their life. The disease affects people of all races, ages and sexes; however, it generally occurs in people belonging to the 20-49 years age group and occurs more frequently in men than in women. Kidney stone occurrence is way less common in children than in adults, the rate is about 2-4% of adults. Children with asthma are four times more likely to develop kidney stones than children who don’t have it. Asymptomatic stones are also on a rise and are only detected accidently by radiological findings.
In India, it is expected that 50% of the people affected with urinary stones may end up with renal damage or complete loss of kidneys. It is also seen that defined daily doses of antibiotics could affect urolithiasis prevalence. Higher consumption of antibiotics could lead to higher prevalence of kidney stones. Global warming may also affect kidney stone formation as shown by some researchers. Increase in atmospheric temperatures correlated to increase in kidney stone formation. It is estimated by researchers that people who are living in designated high-risk areas for kidney stone formation would increase to 56% in 2050 and 70% in 2095.
The regions of India reporting highest prevalence and incidence rate comprises the “stone-belt” of the country. The stone-belt region includes parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and the states of the Northeast. The research done on urolithiasis incidence in India is very less. The studies are not comprehensive (absence of pan-India statistics) and are mostly done in a region-specific manner. The ratio of occurrence in women to men ranges from 1:1 to 1:2. In majority parts of India, urolithiasis occurs in men more than women, conforming to the global patterns. The number of cases in India increased by more than 2000% in 48 years between 1960 and 2008. The incidence was 40 per 100,000 people in 1960 and it was reported 930 per 100,000 people in 2008.
In Malaysia, a similar trend of increasing cases was observed with incidence of 40 per 100,000 in 1960 to 443 per 100,000 in 1990. In USA, the prevalence increased from 3.8% in 1976 to 14% in 2014. Incidence in Japan increased from 54.2 per 100,000 in 1965 to 114.3 per 100,000 in 2005. The data of UK reveals an increase of 96% in lifetime prevalence, with it being 7.14% in 2000 and 14% in 2014. Incidence in Germany hiked from 540 per 100,000 in 1979 to 1470 per 100,000 in 2001. The prevalence in Italy rose from 1.7% in 1994 to 4.14% in 2012. Russia reported an increase of 35.4% in prevalence and an increase of 16.2% in incidence in 14 years from 2005 to 2019. Prevalence in China was also reported to be on a rise with an increase of 633% in 27 years (prevalence of 1.45% in 1989 and 10.63% in 2016).
To deal with this disease, we now have a lot of tools available with their own pros and cons. Patients with the help of advice from their doctors choose the most suitable treatment option and prevention routine. Dietary restrictions along with supplements are the most common recommendations. Ayurvedic medicines have emerged as an effective strategy for kidney stone management. Warstone by Stalwart lifesciences is one such product available over-the-counter for direct consumer reach. It has shown wonderful results for users and is highly recommended by doctors as seen on the website testimonials.
