What Are Gallstones?
Gallstones are clusters of solid material that form in the gallbladder; they are usually mostly made of cholesterol. They occur either as one large stone or many small ones. Gallstones vary in size and can be as large as a golf ball or as small as a grain of sand.
What Are the Symptoms of Gallstones?
Most people with gallstones don't realize they have them and experience no symptoms, meaning they have "painless" or "silent" gallstones. Sometimes gallstones cause abdominal or back pain; these are referred to as symptomatic gallstones. In rare cases, gallstones can lead to other serious health problems.Symptoms of gallstones or a gallstone attack include:
- Severe pain in the upper abdomen that starts suddenly and lasts from 30 minutes to many hours
- Pain under the right shoulder or in the right shoulder blade
- Nausea or vomiting
- Indigestion after eating high-fat foods, such as fried foods or desserts
How Are Gallstones Treated?
Silent gallstones are not usually treated. They sometimes disappear on their own. Symptomatic gallstones are typically treated, however. The most common treatment for gallstones is cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder), either via laparoscopy or open procedure. In other cases, medications may be used to dissolve the gallstones.
How Are Gallstones Linked to Obesity?
Obese individuals are more likely to develop gallstones than those who are at a healthier weight. For women, obesity is an even stronger risk factor for developing gallstones. Researchers have found that obese individuals tend to produce higher levels of cholesterol than normal. This leads to production of bile that contains more cholesterol than can be dissolved. When this happens, gallstones can form from the undissolved cholesterol.Additionally, in the obese, gallbladders may not empty normally or completely.
Research has shown that those who have excess fat around their stomach (abdominal obesity) may be at a greater risk for developing gallstones than those who carry excess fat mainly around their hip and thigh areas.
As BMI increases, the risk for developing gallstones also rises. Women with a BMI greater than 32 may be as much as three times as likely to develop gallstones as those with a BMI of 24 or 25. The risk may be seven times higher in women with a BMI above 45 than in those with a BMI under 24.
It's important to note that rapid weight loss (more than three pounds per week) due to crash dieting or losing a large amount of weight too soon can actually increase your chances of developing gallstones, too. Slower weight loss of about one-half to two pounds a week is much less likely to cause gallstones.
Although losing weight may increase the risk of developing gallstones, obesity poses an even greater risk. Weight loss can lower the risk of developing gallstones and many other obesity-related illnesses. Just a 10% reduction of body weight can lower disease risk. Losing 10% of your current weight over the next six months is a realistic goal that can significantly improve your life and your overall health.
More on the Health Risks of Obesity:
Source:National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. 02-3677. Weight-control Information Network. WIN - Publication - Dieting and Gallstones. August 2008. Retrieved 13 Dec 2008.
