The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gallstones in Korean Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Background/Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate the frequency of gallstones and the related risk factors in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methodology: Patients (n=1,333) with liver cirrhosis who were diagnosed at Yeungnam University Hospital between January 2006 and December 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. Healthy people (n=16,922) who underwent an examination at the health promotion center were enrolled as a control group. We analyzed the clinical and laboratory findings between the cirrhotic patients with and without gallstones. Results: Liver cirrhosis was an independent risk factor for gallstone formation (OR: 2.017; p=0.00). Diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia increased the risk for gallstones by 2.2-fold and 1.9-fold in cirrhotic patents, respectively. The severity of the liver cirrhosis according to the Child-Pugh class carried a significantly greater risk of gallstone formation. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and Child-Pugh class C were significantly related to the risk of gallstone formation in patients with liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: The prevalence of gallstones is significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis, and the related risk factors are diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia and severity of liver cirrhosis.