Obesity and Gallstones

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The prevalence of obesity has been increasing globally and represents the main risk factor for the development of gallstone disease (GD). <b><i>Summary:</i></b> Excess body weight represents the main cause for the development of GD; nevertheless, there have been described multiple risk factors for its development, among them modifiable risk factors as diet, lifestyle, physical inactivity, and non-modifiable risk factors as ethnicity, female sex, advanced age, parity, and genetic mutations. Body mass index, abdominal perimeter, and waist-hip index have been used to determine the degree of adiposity of a person. Hence, central abdominal fat has been mostly associated with insulin resistance with the consequent increase in the hepatic cholesterol secretion; contributing as one of the multiple mechanisms associated with the development of gallstones. This disease has a low mortality; however, it has been associated with multiple diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, carotid atherosclerosis, metabolic associated fatty liver disease, and gallbladder cancer, probably because they share many of the risk factors. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> GD continues to be considered a disease with a high medical burden, in which it is sought to intervene in modifiable risk factors to reduce its development.