INTRODUCTION While research in the arena of nephrology has made great strides and pharmacotherapeutic strategies continue to develop apace, renal disorders inflict a high burden of disease among individuals across the globe. They remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, attracting worldwide attention to the epidemiology, risk factors and treatment modalities.1Cases A. Recent advances in nephrology: highlights from the 35th annual meeting of the American society of nephrology. Drugs Today (Barc). 2002 Dec;38(12):797-805. 2Iseki K, Kohagura K. Anemia as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int Suppl. 2007 Nov;(107):S4-9. 3Trifiro G, Sultana J, Giorgianni F, Ingrasciotta Y, Buemi M, Muscianisi M, Tari DU, Perrotta M, Canale V, Arcoraci V, Santoro D. Chronic Kidney Disease Requiring Healthcare Services: A New Approach to Evaluate Epidemiology of Renal Disease. BioMed Research International. 2014;2014:268362. 4Anand S, Khanam MA, Saquib J, Saquib N, Ahmed T, Alam DS, Cullen MR, Barry M, Chertow GM. High prevalence…
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF NEPHROLITHIASIS - AN OVERVIEW Nephrolithiasis/urolithiasis or calculus in the urinary tract is a frequently encountered medical condition in the emergency department which generally presents as renal colic. Historical evidence for renal calculi in humans can be traced as far back as 4800 BC, the Egyptian mummies around which time have been found to have calculus in the urinary tract. Additionally, various ancient texts also depict the excruciatingly painful nature of renal colic due to urinary stones, with some literature, especially from India, even mentioning different techniques of stone extraction to provide relief. While archaeological evidences suggest its prevalence to be low during that era, contemporary estimates conclusively indicate a steady escalation in the prevalence of urolithiasis globally. This change in prevalence trend, which cuts across age, race and gender, has been ascribed to changes in dietary habits, and increasing prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic…
