By Diane Voyatzis Norwood, MS, RD, CDE
A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.
It is possible to develop cholelithiasis (or gallstones ) with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing gallstones. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your healthcare provider about what you can do to reduce your risk.
Risk factors include:
Gender
Women tend to get gallstones more frequently than men due to their higher estrogen levels.
Oral Estrogen Use
In addition, women who take oral contraceptives or postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy seem to have a higher risk of gallstones due to the estrogen these therapies contain.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy also increases estrogen levels, thereby increasing risk of gallstones.
Increasing Age
As you get older, usually 40 and over, your risk of gallstones increases.
Obesity and Diet
Having mainly abdominal fat appears to raise your risk of getting gallstones. Being even moderately overweight increases cholesterol in your bile, which may easily form gallstones.
In addition, rapid weight loss or fluctuating weight can increase your risk because low-calorie diets cause the gallbladder to contract less. People who have had gastric-bypass surgery to lose weight quickly also have an increased risk for gallstones.
Lack of Physical Activity
Lack of exercise is associated with a higher risk of developing gallstones, perhaps because the gallbladder is contracting less.
Family History of Gallstones
Like many other conditions, gallstones tend to run in families.
Ethnicity
Native Americans, Hispanic, and those of northern European descent develop gallstones more frequently than any other ethnicity in the United States. Gallstones occur less frequently among Asians and African-Americans.
Diseases of the Small Intestines
Diseases associated with gallstones include:
Crohns disease
Diabetes
Sickle cell anemia
Major trauma
Paralysis
Need for Long-term Intravenous Nutrition (Total Parenteral Nutrition)
When it is necessary to provide nutrition through the veins, therefore bypassing the intestines, the gallbladder is less stimulated since there is no food going through the intestines. This increases your risk of gallstones.
Medications
Certain drugs are associated with an increased risk of developing gallstones, including:
Fibrates
Octreotide
Somastatin
Ceftraxone
References:
Adler DG, Baron TH, Davila RE, et al. ASGE guideline: the role of ERCP in diseases of the biliary tract and the pancreas. Gastrointest Endosc. 2005;62:1-8.
Ahmed A, Cheung RC, Keefe EB. Management of gallstones and their complications. Am Fam Physician. 2000;61:1673-1678.
Beers MH, Berkow R. The Merck Manual . 17th ed. West Point, PA: Merck and Co; 1999.
Gallstones. Dynamed website. Available at: http://www.dynamicmedical.com/dynamed.nsf?opendatabase. Accessed December 19, 2005.
Gallstones. Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gallstones/DS00165. Accessed January 3, 2006.
Gallstones. Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000273.htm. Accessed January 3, 2006.
Gallstones. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) website. Available at: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/. Accessed January 3, 2006.
Portincasa P, Moschetta A, Palasciano G. Cholesterol gallstone disease. Lancet. 2006;368:230-239.
Shaffer EA. Gallstone disease: Epidemiology of gallbladder stone disease. Best Pract Res Clin Gastronenterol. 2006;20:981-996.
Wittenburg H, Lammert F. Genetic predisposition to gallbladder stones. Semin Liver Dis. 2007;27:109-121.
Last reviewed April 2007 by David Juan, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
