LAUSR

Abstract Objectives: The American Southeast has been labeled the “Stone Belt” due to its relatively high burden of urinary stone disease, presumed to be related to its higher temperatures. However, other regions with high temperatures (e.g., the Southwest) do not have the same disease prevalence as the southeast. We seek to explore the association of stone disease to other climate-associated factors beyond temperature, including precipitation and temperature variation. Methods: We identified all patients who underwent a surgical procedure for urinary stone disease from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) databases (2010–2012). Climate data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were compared to population adjusted county operative stone burden, controlling for patient and county demographic data as potential confounders. Results: A total of 63,994 unique patients underwent stone procedures in California between 2010 and 2012. Multiva...