Risk Factors in Calcium Stone Disease of the Urinary Tract

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Abstract
Summary— The concept that calcium stone formation may be explained on the basis of a number of risk factors is developed. The main risk factors involved are shown to be calcium, oxalate, pH, acid mucopolysaccharides and uric acid.A method is described for calculating and combining the individual risk factors into a measure of the “relative probability” of forming stones (PSF).PSF values are generally lower in normal subjects than in stone‐formers. Amongst the normals, PSF values are lower in children and women than in men.Recurrent stone‐formers have the highest PSF values and these correlate well with the severity of the disease as defined by the stone episode rate of the patient. Single stone‐formers have PSF values intermediate between those of normal men and those of recurrent stone‐formers.