Causes of Gallstones

Read about Causes of Gallstones presented in simple easy to understand language

The Factors which leads to the development of Gallstones includes the following
Cholesterol Stones: Researchers believe that cholesterol stones form when the bile contains too much cholesterol, bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not empty as it should for some other reason.

Pigment Stones: The cause of pigment stones is not known. They tend to develop in people who are suffering from cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, and hereditary blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, in which too much bilirubin is formed.

Other Factors
• Obesity: Obesity or over – weight is a major risk factor for gallstones, especially in women. Researchers have shown that being even moderately overweight increases the risk for developing gallstones. The most common reason is that obesity tends to reduce the amount of bile salts in bile, resulting in more cholesterol. Obesity also decreases gallbladder emptying.

• Estrogen: Excess formation of estrogen during pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, or birth control pills appears to increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement, both of which can lead to gallstones.

• Ethnicity: American Indians have the highest incidence of gallstones in the United States. Mexican-Americans also are at increased risk.

• Sex: Women in the age group of 20 to 60 are more likely suffer from the disorder than the counterpart. This is because the female hormone estrogen causes more cholesterol to be produced in bile. During pregnancy these estrogen level to rises and increases the risk. In addition to this, birth control pills and hormone therapy (HT) will both increase bile cholesterol levels and decrease gallbladder emptying.

• Age: Your chance of developing gallstones increases with age. People older than 60 years of age are more likely to have gallstones than are those who are younger.

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs: Drugs that lower cholesterol levels in blood actually increase the amount of cholesterol secreted in bile. This in turn can increase the risk of gallstones.

• Diabetes: Peoples suffering from diabetes generally have high levels of fatty acids called triglycerides. These fatty acids increase the risk of gallstones.

• Diet: Low-calorie food, rapid weight loss diets tend to disrupt the bile chemistry and may cause the gallbladder to contract. This leads to the development of gallstones. In fact, losing more than 3 pounds a week may increase your risk of developing gallstones when compared with losing weight more gradually. People who undergo gastrointestinal surgery to lose weight rapidly, also called bariatric surgery, are at increased risk of gallstones. As many as one in three people who have bariatric surgery may develop symptomatic gallstones a few months after surgery.

• Fasting: Fasting decreases gallbladder movement, causing the bile to become overconcentrated with cholesterol, which will lead to the formation of gallstones.