Gallstone

In medicine, gallstones are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components.

Causes

Progress has been made in understanding the process of gallstone formation. Researchers believe that gallstones may be caused by a combination of factors, including inherited body chemistry, body weight, gallbladder motility (movement), and perhaps diet.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cholesterol gallstones develop when bile contains too much cholesterol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and not enough bile salts. Besides a high concentration of cholesterol,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

two other factors seem to be important in causing gallstones. The first

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

is how often and how well the gallbladder contracts; incomplete and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

infrequent emptying of the gallbladder may cause the bile to become

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

overconcentrated and contribute to gallstone formation. The second

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

factor is the presence of proteins in the liver and bile that either

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

promote or inhibit cholesterol crystallization into gallstones.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other factors also seem to play a role in causing gallstones but how is

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

not clear. Obesity has been shown to be a major risk factor for

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

gallstones. 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.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition, increased levels of the hormone estrogen as a result of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

pregnancy, hormone therapy, or the use of birth control pills, may

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

increase cholesterol levels in bile and also decrease gallbladder

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

movement, resulting in gallstone formation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

No clear relationship has been proven between diet and gallstone

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

formation. However, low-fiber, high-cholesterol diets, and diets high

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

in starchy foods have been suggested as contributing to gallstone

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

formation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~