The Pattern of Urinary Stone Disease in Leeds and in the United Kingdom in Relation to Animal Protein Intake during the Period 1960–1980

Studies on the occurrence of urinary stone disease in Leeds between 1960 and 1980 show that there was an increase in the number of stones formed during the period 1960-1970, a fall between 1972 and a subsequent rise between 1977 and 1980. The fluctuations in stone incidence were accounted for almost entirely by changes in the number of 'pure' calcium oxalate stones and, to a lesser extent, the number of uric acid stones produced. The incidence patterns of these types of stone closely reflected changes in the consumption of animal protein in the population as a whole during the same period. There were no parallel changes either in the number of stones consisting of a mixture of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate or in the number of infection stones.