Risk Factors of Gallstones

Read about Risk Factors of Gallstones presented in simple easy to understand language

Risk Factors of Gallbladder includes the following
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.

Body weight: Being moderately overweight increases the cholesterol level in your bile. And It also decreases bile salts and reduces the frequency with which your gallbladder contracts and empties. BMI (body mass index) is a method of estimating your percentage of body fat using your height and weight, which is a very useful method to control the obesity

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.

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.

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