Sex differences in the therapy of kidney and ureteral stones

Purpose of review Better understanding of sex differences affecting urolithiasis may help us offer tailored treatment strategies to our patients. Recent findings The incidence of urolithiasis is increasing and the male-to-female ratio has decreased from 3 : 1 to 1.3 : 1 between 1970 and 2000. In women, obesity has a larger effect on the risk of developing urolithiasis [odds ratio (OR) 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33–1.37] compared with men (OR 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02–1.06). Urolithiasis is a risk factor for coronary artery disease in men (risk ratio = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02–1.49) and for stroke in women (risk ratio = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03–1.21). Women tolerate cystoscopic stent removal and shock wave lithotripsy better than men. For shock wave lithotripsy menopaused women have reported lower visual analog scale scores than menstruating women (P 
Source: Current Opinion in Urology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Tags: GENDER-MEDICINE IN UROLOGY: Edited by Angie Smith and Harun Fajkovic Source Type: research