Belly fat linked to gallbladder removal

The amount of fat around the belly, independent of weight, and a high waist-to-hip ratio, increases the likelihood of gallbladder surgery in a woman. Women with the largest waist circumference have nearly double the risk of women with the smallest waists. Researchers from the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, UK, analysed data from 42,312 participants who ranged in age from 39 to 66 years and were free of gallstone disease at the start of the study in 1986. Waist and hip circumference data were noted when the women enrolled. By the year 2000, 3127 of the women had had their gallbladders removed because of gallstones. After adjusting for known risk factors for gallstone disease, it was found that women with a waist circumference greater than 36 inches were 96 percent more likely to undergo gallbladder surgery compared with women with a waist circumference less than 26 inches. The waist-to-hip ratio was directly associated with risk. A ratio of 0.86 or greater carried a 39 percent higher risk of gallbladder removal than a ratio of 0.70 or less. Waist-to-hip ratio was a risk factor for gallstone disease and the need for surgery, regardless of overall body mass index. Ultrasonography screening was not performed in this study. As a result, the prevalence of gallstones was probably underestimated because most gallstones don't cause symptoms.