据估计,肾结石的终身患病率为 5% 至 12%,根据年龄、性别、种族和所在地区的不同,发病率也会存在差异。[5]Norlin A, Lindell B, Granberg PO, et al. Urolithiasis. A study of its frequency. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1976;10(2):150-3.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/948724?tool=bestpractice.com[6]Sierakowski R, Finlayson B, Landes RR, et al. The frequency of urolithiasis in hospital discharge diagnoses in the United States. Invest Urol. 1978 May;15(6):438-41.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/649290?tool=bestpractice.com[7]Scales CD Jr, Smith AC, Hanley JM, et al. Prevalence of kidney stones in the United States. Eur Urol. 2012 Jul;62(1):160-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3362665/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22498635?tool=bestpractice.com 通常,成人男性罹患肾结石的比例大于成年女性,男女之比为 2:1 或 3:1。[8]Hiatt RA, Dales LG, Friedman GD, et al. Frequency of urolithiasis in a prepaid medical care program. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 Feb;115(2):255-65.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7058784?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Soucie JM, Thun MJ, Coates RJ, et al. Demographic and geographic variability of kidney stones in the United States. Kidney Int. 1994 Sep;46(3):893-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7996811?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Pearle MS, Calhoun EA, Curhan GC. Urologic diseases in America project: urolithiasis. J Urol. 2005 Mar;173(3):848-57.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15711292?tool=bestpractice.com 然而,有证据显示,男女性发病率的差异正在不断缩小。[11]Lieske JC, Peña de la Vega LS, Slezak JM, et al. Renal stone epidemiology in Rochester, Minnesota: an update. Kidney Int. 2006 Feb;69(4):760-4.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16518332?tool=bestpractice.com 在美国男性中,肾结石患病率最高的是白人,其次为西班牙裔、亚裔和黑人。[9]Soucie JM, Thun MJ, Coates RJ, et al. Demographic and geographic variability of kidney stones in the United States. Kidney Int. 1994 Sep;46(3):893-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7996811?tool=bestpractice.com 在美国女性中,患病率最高的是白人,最低的是亚裔。[12]Sarmina I, Spirnak JP, Resnick MI. Urinary lithiasis in the black population: an epidemiological study and review of the literature. J Urol. 1987 Jul;138(1):14-7.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3599198?tool=bestpractice.com 然而,与白人相比,在黑人中结石的发病率增长得更快,特别是在黑人女性中(相对于男性)。[13]Tasian GE, Ross ME, Song L, et al. Annual incidence of nephrolithiasis among children and adults in South Carolina from 1997 to 2012. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2016 Mar 7;11(3):488-96.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791823/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26769765?tool=bestpractice.com 历史上,结石在 20 岁以前相对少见,但儿童和青少年中结石的发病率正在增高。[13]Tasian GE, Ross ME, Song L, et al. Annual incidence of nephrolithiasis among children and adults in South Carolina from 1997 to 2012. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2016 Mar 7;11(3):488-96.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791823/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26769765?tool=bestpractice.com 成人结石的发病高峰为三十至六十岁。[14]Marshall V, White RH, De Saintonage M, et al. The natural history of renal and ureteric calculi. Br J Urol. 1975 Apr;47(2):117-24.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1097021?tool=bestpractice.com 山区、沙漠或热带地区等炎热、荒芜或干燥气候下肾结石的患病率较高。全世界肾结石高发地区有:美国、不列颠群岛、斯堪的纳维亚半岛和地中海国家、印度北部和巴基斯坦、北澳大利亚、中欧、马来半岛的部分地区和中国。[15]Finlayson B. Symposium on renal lithiasis. Renal lithiasis in review. Urol Clin North Am. 1974 Jun;1(2):181-212.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4372765?tool=bestpractice.com[16]Sorokin I, Mamoulakis C, Miyazawa K, et al. Epidemiology of stone disease across the world. World J Urol. 2017 Sep;35(9):1301-20.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28213860?tool=bestpractice.com高温环境和脱水是肾结石发病的危险因素。无论在男性还是女性中,肾结石的患病率和发病风险都与体重和体重指数 (BMI) 直接相关,但女性中这种相关程度高于男性。[17]Curhan GC, Willett WC, Rimm EB, et al. Body size and risk of kidney stones. J Am Soc Nephrol. 1998 Sep;9(9):1645-52.http://jasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/9/1645http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9727373?tool=bestpractice.com[18]Taylor EN, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. Obesity, weight gain, and the risk of kidney stones. JAMA. 2005 Jan 26;293(4):455-62.http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/293/4/455http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15671430?tool=bestpractice.com