Obesity and Gallstones

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity has been increasing globally and represents the main risk factor for the development of gallstone disease (GD).

Summary: 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.

Key messages: 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.

Keywords: Bile acids; Biliary lipids; Cholecystokinin; Gallstones; Nuclear receptors.