Gallstones may Significantly Raise Risk of Fatty Liver Disease, unravels study
Researchers have determined that gallstones greatly increase the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To evaluate whether there is a chance of association between gallstones and NAFLD, a recent case control study was conducted among the patients of Imam Khomeini and Golestan hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences. The study was conducted by Sheibani A. and colleagues and was published in the journal Health Science Reports.
Both NAFLD and gallstones are frequently associated with common risk factors, including obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. The association has been suspected by previous studies, but little has been done to quantify this risk. This study aimed to assess the incidence of gallstones in patients with NAFLD to determine the strength of this relationship, and to find which factors most significantly contribute to the development of NAFLD in patients with gallstones.
The research inducted 300 patients referred to Imam Khomeini and Golestan hospitals in 2023. The patients were divided into two groups according to ultrasound findings; the case group included 150 patients diagnosed with NAFLD, while the control group included patients without any findings for NAFLD (n =150). The research records all clinical data, including age, gender, BMI, the presence of diabetes, and status of gallstone, using checklists. SPSS version 26 was utilized in doing statistical analysis, and the examinations of how gallstones, diabetes, and obese conditions might impact the risk of NAFLD were conducted using binary logistic regressions.
The results of the study established the following associations for gallstones, diabetes, and obesity with NAFLD:
The patients who had gallstones showed a likelihood of 2.33 times more to have NAFLD (p = 0.035).
The presence of DM increased the risk of NAFLD about 16 times above the baseline rate (p <0.001).
For every one unit increase in BMI, added 30% to the odds of having NAFLD (p <0.001).
Gallstones have emerged as an important risk factor for NAFLD and most likely to double the patients' odds of suffering from fatty liver. Clinically, these findings highlight the necessity to monitor and manage NAFLD risk in patients with gallstones, especially in obese or diabetic subjects, where preventive measures may delay or reduce NAFLD progression.
Reference:
Sheibani, A., Reihani, H., Shoja, A., Gharibvand, M. M., & Hanafi, M. G. (2024). Gallstones increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver: A case‐control study. Health Science Reports, 7(11). https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70068
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