Abstract
Background/PurposeFew studies have examined the risk factors for gallbladder (GB) disease in young adults. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors for GB disease in young adults based on big data in Korea.MethodsAll participants underwent routine checkup at the Korea Medical Institute from June 2014 to May 2015. After excluding 677 individuals with missing information in records, 724,114 individuals (435,635 men, 288,479 women) were finally included. The definition of abnormal GB finding included stones, sludge, polyps, and adenomyomatosis detected using ultrasonography. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.2.ResultsOverall, 27,130 (17.5%) individuals were diagnosed as having abnormal GB finding in the young age group (N = 154,463, aged 20–39 years). In men, significant differences in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol levels were observed between the abnormal GB finding group and normal GB group (p < 0.05). In women, a significant difference in smoking history was noted between the abnormal GB finding group and normal GB group (p < 0.05). The prevalence rate of GB stones was 1.9% (27,979/154,463) in the young age group. High body mass index (BMI), large thigh circumference, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level in women and low HDL level in men were independent risk factors for the presence of GB stones (p < 0.05).ConclusionIn this study, obesity-related factors (BMI, waist size, thigh circumference, and cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels) correlated with GB disease in the young generation of Korea.
Highlights
Gallbladder (GB) disease is a common disease of the digestive system known to occur in approximately 20% of healthy adults
Significant differences in lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol levels were observed between the abnormal GB finding group and normal GB group (p < 0.05)
In 2015, cholecystectomy ranked seventh among operative cases in Korea that were filed with the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service [9]
Summary
Gallbladder (GB) disease is a common disease of the digestive system known to occur in approximately 20% of healthy adults. The prevalence of GB disease is more than double in women than in men and increases with age in both sexes, reaching approximately 30% at the age of 70 years [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Recent studies have reported a 27% growth in the number of cholecystectomies in 2015 compared with that in 2010 [9]. Risk factors for GB disease can be categorized into two, namely, (1) immutable factors, such as ethnicity, advanced age, female sex, and pregnancy, and (2) modifiable factors. Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of gallstones. The prevalence of obesity, which accounts for the largest percentage of risk factors, is increasing in Korea. From 1979 to 2015, the average body mass index (BMI) and waist size increased among young male and female adults [9]
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