Gallstones: NWHIC

GALLSTONES

What are gallstones?
Who gets gallstones?
How do you know if you have gallstones?
Why are gallstones a health threat?
Are gallstones and kidney stones the same thing?

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. Gallstones form when substances in the bile, primarily cholesterol and bile pigments, form hard, crystal-like particles.

Risk factors for gallstones include obesity ; a large clinical study showed that being even moderately overweight increases one's risk for developing gallstones. This is probably true because obesity tends to cause excess cholesterol in bile, low bile salts, and decreased gallbladder emptying. Very low calorie, rapid weight-loss diets, and prolonged fasting, seem to also cause gallstone formation.

No clear relationship has been proven between diet and gallstone formation. However, low-fiber, high-cholesterol, high protein diets, and diets high in starchy foods have been suggested as contributing to gallstone formation.

Who gets gallstones?

Those who are most likely to develop gallstones are:

• Women between 20 and 60 years of age. They are twice as likely to develop gallstones than men.

• Men and women over age 60.

• Pregnant women or women who have used birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy.

• Native Americans. They have the highest prevalence of gallstones in the United States. A majority of Native American men have gallstones by age 60. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, 70 percent of women have gallstones by age 30.

• Mexican-American men and women of all ages.

• Men and women who are overweight.

• People who go on "crash" diets or who lose a lot of weight quickly.

How do you know if you have gallstones?

Most people with gallstones do not have symptoms. They have what are called silent stones. Studies show that most people with silent stones remain symptom free for years and require no treatment. Silent stones usually are detected during a routine medical checkup or examination for another illness.

Why are gallstones a health threat?

A gallstone attack usually is marked by a steady, severe pain in the upper abdomen. Attacks may last only 20 or 30 minutes but more often they last for one to several hours. A gallstone attack may also cause pain in the back between the shoulder blades or in the right shoulder and may cause nausea or vomiting. Attacks may be separated by weeks, months, or even years. Once a true attack occurs, subsequent attacks are much more likely.

Sometimes gallstones may make their way out of the gallbladder and into the cystic duct, the channel through which bile travels from the gallbladder to the small intestine. If stones become lodged in the cystic duct and block the flow of bile, they can cause cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gallbladder. Blockage of the cystic duct is a common complication caused by gallstones.

A less common but more serious problem occurs if the gallstones become lodged in the bile ducts between the liver and the intestine. This condition can block bile flow from the gallbladder and liver, causing pain and jaundice. Gallstones may also interfere with the flow of digestive fluids secreted from the pancreas into the small intestine, leading to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.

Prolonged blockage of any of these ducts can cause severe damage to the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas, which can be fatal. Warning signs include fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.

Are gallstones and kidney stones the same thing?

Gallstones and kidney stones are not related. They form in different areas of the body. If a person has a gallstone, he or she is not necessarily more likely to develop kidney stones.

For More Information...

You can find out more about gallstones by contacting the following organizations:

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

This information was abstracted from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

All material contained in the FAQs is free of copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services; citation of the source is appreciated.

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Publication date: 1998