About 55 Million Adults in Europe are Affected by Kidney Stone

According to the confirmation of the European Association of Urology, almost one person in ten in Europe is now affected by stones in the kidney and ureter. It is said that this figure has more than doubles since 1982.

The main cause may be due to changes in European lifestyles which have resulted in increasing prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. It is estimated that around 55, 000, 000 adults in Europe are affected, which would be equivalent to each adult in Italy, France or the UK having kidney stones. This increase underlines the need from increased patient awareness and better-quality monitoring.

Kidney Stones, usually comprised of a compound known as calcium oxalate, are caused by minerals or acid salts crystallising in the kidney. They may be small and pass unnoticed out of the urinary tract, but they may also lead to extreme pain upon existing, which requires immediate emergency treatment. More males are affected by the disease than females. Increasing number of younger individuals are also being affected.

The incidence and awareness of this common disease - Kidney Stone- varies from country to country, depending on a variety of factors. It seems that lifestyle factors like diet are leading to increasing problem.

People in certain countries may have higher incidence of Kidney Stones than others -- sometimes, much higher. This means that awareness of the disease, how to deal with it, and even available treatment options, vary greatly from country to country.

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