Epidemiologic Study for Urolithiasis and Diet in Korean People Epidemiologic Study on Dietary Change and urolithiasis in the Past 16 Years(I)

Kwon, Sung Won

Abstract

Though the cause and pathogenesis of urolithiasis are complex and has not clearly identified yet, it has been believed that diet, containing rich calcium component may be the principle factor and especially milk plays a great role in the stone formation. In the epidemiologic study, we carried out to examine the relationship between urolithiasis and westernized food life with milk in Korean people. The following results were obtained. 1. During the past 16 years, GNP per man was increased from 109$ to 1,607$, yearly consumption of the rice for each person was slightly increased from 121.8kg to 131.5kg, but that of the barely was decreased from 36.2kg to 16.2kg, that of the meat, from 3.5kg to 11.2kg as the 3.2 times, that of the milk, from 0.3kg to 14.4kg as the 48 times. 2. The ratio of patients with urolithiasis to the whole patients admitted to Urologic department, showed- not-remarkable change but yearly number of patients with urolithiasis was increased from 222 to 481 men, especially sharply increased in the latter half of the 1970s. 3. A yearly change of the locational distribution of urolithiasis showed that bladder stones were decreased but renal and ureter stones were markedly increased. 4. the highest increasing rate on the age distribution showed in 40 years, from 79 to 240 as the 3.4 times. 5. The sex ratio of male and female was about 2.2:1 but increasing tendency was greater in female as the 3.2 times than in male as the 2.2 times. 6. There was no regional specificity in stone formation but on seasonal distribution, occurrence was prevalent in summer(29.4%). 7. Judging from the facts mentioned above, it was believed to be significant to exam the relationship between urolithiasis and diet.