Kidney stones: A prologue Kidney stones have become a prevalent disorder in recent times, with annual incidence reported to be eight cases per 1,000 adults. It is a serious health condition as it has been associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney diseases, end-stage renal failure, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. Development of these stones occurs due to reduced urine volume or increased excretion of stone-forming components such as calcium, oxalate, uric acid, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate. Low urinary citrate levels or excessive urinary acidity (low pH) might also lead to stone formation. The composition of stones is mainly calcium salts, uric acid, cysteine, and struvite. Amongst these, the most common types are the calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate (>80% of the stones), followed by uric acid (8-10%) and cysteine and struvite. The epidemiology of kidney stones in the Asian continent is given in Box 1.