title: Inverse association between plasma cholesterol and gallstone disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between gallstone disease (gallstones or cholecystectomy) and plasma lipids was evaluated in 2,089 subjects who attended a private health care facility in Mexico City from August 1991 to August 1992.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants provided data on their sociodemographic status, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus diagnoses, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits; women also gave data regarding their obstetric-gynecologic histories. Ultrasounds of the liver and biliary tract were performed. Cholesterol levels, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol, and triglyceride plasma concentration were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study shows a strong inverse association between gallstone disease and plasma cholesterol concentration, with OR = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.42-0.89) in the category of 181-239 mg/dL, and OR = 0.49 (95% CI = 0.32-0.77) in the group of 240 mg/dL or more, when compared to 180 mg/dL or less, after adjusting for the following risk factors: gender, age, and body mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest an increment in the catabolic pool of cholesterol, reflected in lower levels of plasma cholesterol in subjects with gallstone disease.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Duque
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morán
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmerón-Castro
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Leal
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uribe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol