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.