Gallstones, hardened cholesterol deposits in the bile ducts of the gallbladder can lead to severe and life threatening infections, according to the Robert Wood Johnston University Hospital website. Rapid weight loss, fasting and excess estrogen are risk factors for developing gallstones. Additionally, cholesterol-lowering medications may increase the risk of gallbladder disease.
Obesity
A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. Obesity is a major risk factor for gallstone formation in women between the ages of 20 and 60 years old, notes the Symptoms of Gallstones Organization. Overweight men risk gallstones as well; however, women are at a higher risk for developing gallbladder disease due to a greater accumulation of cholesterol and fatty substances that clog bile ducts, more prominently found in women. Moderate obesity increases the risk of hardened bile formations that develop into gallstones. Obesity can decrease the amount of bile salts in the gallbladder resulting in more fatty substance accumulation in the bile ducts. In addition, obesity decreases gallbladder emptying that encourages cholesterol to collect, forming stones. Gallstones initially develop from poor, high-fat diets and poor exercise habits. In addition, weak abdominal muscles force the gallbladder to work ineffectively, according to the Foundation for Better Health Care.
Estrogen
Increased estrogen levels during pregnancy and upon entering perimenopause increases the risk of gallstone formation in women, reports the Annuals of Surgery. This risk factor influence on bile salts results in greater cholesterol hardening in gallbladders of pregnant and premenopausal women. The 1997 review of the original 1973 study in the "Annals of Surgery" describes the effects of estrogen on bile and its implications to gallstone formation. The study found that as women's estrogen levels increased, bile salts increased. Cholesterol hardens at greater rates when bile salt is increased, therefore placing these women at greater risk for gallstones.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and Oral Dissolution Therapy
Cholesterol-lowering drugs can increase the amount of cholesterol secreted in the bile, according to the Symptoms of Gallstones Organization. Increased cholesterol and bile secretion raise the risk of gallbladder disease. The Foundation for Better Health Care reports that oral dissolution therapy and medication used to lower cholesterol may temporarily raise levels of blood fats and liver enzymes that increase bile formation. The benefits of lowering cholesterol outweigh the potential risks for individuals with high cholesterol levels, states the "Annuals of Surgery" 1997 review. High levels of these fatty substances can lead to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. The oral dissolution therapy has not been found to be as effective as surgery for people with high accumulations of gallstones, notes the FBHC.
References
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital: Gallstones
- Pennsylvania State College of Medicine: Gallstones
- Symptoms of Gallstones: Symptoms of Gallstones
- The Foundation for Better Health Care: Gallstones
- "Annals of Surgery"; Effects of estrogen upon bile; J Lynn, L Williams, J O'Brien, J Wittenberg, and R H Egdahl; October 1973,
