Robotic Gallbladder Surgery

Risk Factors For Gallbladder Disease

Women are far more likely to develop gallstones than men, and this is mostly because of the effect of female hormones.

Here are some other factors that raise the risk of gallbladder disease:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance (also a qualifying condition for weight loss surgery)
• Hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland). This condition usually causes elevated cholesterol, a reduced metabolic rate and slowed digestion. People with an under active thyroid are also more likely to suffer with sluggish bile flow and delayed emptying of the gallbladder.
• Food intolerance or food sensitivities. This is a very common yet under-recognised cause of gallbladder disease. Food sensitivities impair healthy digestion and can reduce the ability of the gallbladder to contract and empty fully. Stasis of bile within the gallbladder promotes the formation of sludge and the eventual formation of gallstones.
• Low stomach acid. This goes hand in hand with indigestion and food intolerance. Many people spend much of their lives taking antacid medication that reduces stomach acid.
• Gluten intolerance/celiac disease. There is a strong association between this condition and gallbladder disease.
  Having a family history of gallbladder disease.
• Rapid weight loss. If you lose weight extremely quickly, where does the fat go? Your hard working liver will break it down because it is the main fat burning organ in your body. Then the fat will be secreted into your gallbladder as a component of bile. Bile can then become super saturated with fat and raise the risk of stones forming. Alternatively stones that were already in your gallbladder can grow bigger.
• Very low fat diets. Every time you eat fat, hormone signals are sent to your gallbladder prompting it to contract and empty its contents into your small intestine. If you don’t eat enough fat, old bile will stay inside your gallbladder too long and that raises the risk of stones. It is important to eat adequate healthy, unprocessed fat in order to keep your bile moving and keep your gallbladder clean.
• People with high cholesterol and high triglycerides in their blood are at increased risk of gallstones.
• Cholesterol lowering drugs raise the risk of gallstones
• Fatty liver.
• Binge eating or eating excessively large meals. Eating more food than your digestive organs can handle is a risk factor for developing gallstones and a major risk factor for getting a gallbladder attack and emergency trip to the hospital if you already have gallstones.