Prevalence and Associated Metabolic Factors of Gallstone Disease in the Elderly Agricultural and Fishing Population of Taiwan

Purpose . To evaluate sex-related differences in the prevalence of and cardiovascular risk factors related to gallstone disease (GSD) in an elderly agricultural and fishing population of Taipei, Taiwan. Methods . The study sample consisted of 6511 healthy elderly participants (3971 men and 2540 women) who were voluntarily admitted to a teaching hospital for a physical checkup in 2010. The participants' blood samples and real-time ultrasound fatty liver results were collected. Results . The prevalence of GSD in the study population was 13.2%, which increased significantly with population age ( P < .0001). Women were associated with significantly higher GSD prevalence than men (14.8% versus 12.2%; for the chi-square test, P = .003). In a multiple logistic regression analysis, female sex, older age, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) were significantly associated with GSD. Multiple logistic regression analysis also revealed that obesity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09–1.44) and metabolic factors (one or 2 versus none, OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.08–1.76) were significantly associated with GSD in women but not in men. Conclusion . In the study population, female sex, older age, and MetS were associated with higher GSD prevalence. The population exhibited other sex-related differences.