Inverse association between plasma cholesterol and gallstone disease.
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.
Duque
M X
MX
Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Morán
S
S
Salmerón-Castro
J
J
Kageyama
M L
ML
Rodríguez-Leal
G
G
Ramos
M E
ME
Uribe
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D002784:Cholesterol