Association of obesity and type II diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for gallstones

Age, female sex, and obesity are well-known risk factors for gallstones; in contrast the possible role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (type-2 DM) is cont roversial. One reason for this discrepancy might be that type 2 DM is often accompanied by obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate t he importance of obesity and of type 2 DM, separately and together, as risk factors for gallstones. In all, 203 obese patients with normal glucose tol erance (obese NGT), 446 obese patients with type 2 DM (obese type 2 DM), 26 9 lean patients with type 2 DM (lean type 2 DM) and 250 lean subjects with a normal glucose tolerance (lean NGT) were evaluated by ultrasonography for the presence of gallstones. At univariate analysis patients with gallstone s (177) were older and were more frequently affected by both obesity and ty pe 2 DM, and had higher triglycerides and fasting blood glucose levels. At multiple logistic regression analysis, only age and obesity, both in the pr esence or in absence of type 2 DM, were strongly associated with gallstones (P < 0.001); diabetes alone had a lower level of statistical significance (P = 0.07). These data suggest that obesity is a stronger risk factor for g allstones than type 2 DM.