Updated Epidemiologic Study of Urolithiasis in Turkey. I: Changing Characteristics of Urolithiasis

The worldwide prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics of urolithiasis appear to have changed in the last decade. This study aims to update the current understanding of the disease in Turkey. A representative sample, totalling 2,468 participants between 18 and 70 years of age from 33 Turkish provinces, was enrolled in this cross-sectional study conducted with a professional market investigation company. Participants were evaluated with face-to-face interviews by medical students using a standard questionnaire. Of the 2,468 participants, 274 (11.1%) reported a history of urinary stone disease diagnosed by a physician and an additional 52 (2.1%) had at least one lifetime episode of colic pain. The annual incidence of urolithiasis in 2008 was 1.7%. The male:female ratio was 1:1 in participants with urolithiasis. A family history of urolithiasis was found in 28.5% of the first-degree relatives of the stone formers, compared to 4.4% of the first-degree relatives of the stone-free participants (p = 0.01). Compared to other ethnic groups, the population of Turkish origin had a statistically significant decreased risk of urolithiasis (p = 0.006). Though not statistically significant (p > 0.05), urolithiasis showed a trend toward a geographical distribution within the country, in which southeastern Anatolia and the Aegean regions had higher frequencies compared to the Black Sea, and central Anatolian and eastern Anatolian regions. Urinary stone disease is a severe problem in Turkey, with high prevalence and incidence rates, which differ significantly between ethnic groups. Moreover, current findings demonstrate a demographic shift, with an increased prevalence of stone disease in female subjects.