Cj. Moerman et al., REGIONAL FAT DISTRIBUTION AS RISK FACTOR FOR CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED GALLSTONES IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN - A 25-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY (THE ZUTPHEN STUDY), International journal of obesity, 18(6), 1994, pp. 435-439
Obesity is considered to be an important risk factor for the formation
of gallstones. The relationship is well established for women but not
for men. In a long-term follow-up study of middle-aged men the relati
onship between various markers of obesity and the incidence of clinica
lly diagnosed gallstones during 25 years of follow-up was studied. Inf
ormation on the presence of gallstones was obtained by self-report and
verified through medical records after death. Of the 860 men who were
between 40 and 59 years old at the start of the study, 54 developed g
allstones, yielding an incidence rate of 3.1/1000 person-years. Cox pr
oportional hazard models were used to examine the associations between
the risk factors and newly diagnosed gallstones. Univariate analysis
revealed that the subscapular-to-trieeps skinfold thickness ratio (STR
) yields a significant positive association (HR upper quartile: 2.5, 9
5% CI: 1.1-5.7). Subscapular skinfold thickness had a borderline signi
ficant, positive association, which became significant after exclusion
of subjects who developed symptomatic gallstones within the first 3 y
ears of follow-up (HR upper quartile: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.0-6.2). The multi
variate model revealed that the association of STR with clinically dia
gnosed gallstones was independent of Body Mass Index. Our results indi
cate that regional fat distribution, as measured by the subscapular-to
-triceps skinfold thickness ratio, may play an important role in the f
ormation of gallstones in men, as was previously found for women in ot
her studies.