人们认识尿路结石已有数百年。直到上世纪,下尿路结石,特别是膀胱结石还是最常见的尿路结石。在某些发展中国家膀胱结石仍有发生,但西方国家几乎已消灭;相反,上尿路结石已成为最常见结石。根据医院统计和流行病学调查,现在肾结石至少比本世纪初多十倍。肾结石发病率的增加与动物蛋白摄入的增加有密切关系。有些事实支持这种假设,例如素食者结石发生率比食用含有动物蛋白的“正常”混合饮食的对照组低得多。 Urinary tract stones have been recognized for hundreds of years. Until the last century, lower urinary tract stones, especially bladder stones, are the most common urolithiasis. Bladder stones still occur in some developing countries, but the Western countries have almost disappeared; on the contrary, the upper urinary tract stones have become the most common stone. According to hospital statistics and epidemiological investigations, kidney stones are now at least ten times more plentiful than in the early part of the century. The incidence of kidney stones increased with the increase of animal protein intake are closely related. There are some facts that support the hypothesis that vegetarian diets, for example, occur at a much lower rate than controls that consume a “normal” mixed diet containing animal protein.