Relationship between gallstone disease and serum lipids in normal adult Nigerians

Gallstone disease (GSD) is one of the commonest gastrointestinal diseases seen in clinical practice. Cholesterol and triglycerides are established principal constituents of the majority of gallstones, particularly in the Western world. This study was, therefore, embarked upon to examine the relationship between gallstone disease and serum lipids. One hundred normal adult Nigerians (50 males and 50 females) underwent real time ultrasonography (USS) to determine the relationship between serum lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and gallstone disease. Demographic characteristics and serum lipids were determined for each of those enrolled. Longitudinal and transverse scans of the right upper quadrant (RUQ) was done in both the supine and left lateral positions. The USS examinations were done in the morning following an overnight fast (to prevent gallbladder contraction) without sedation. USS findings were considered positive for the presence of gallstone disease only in those in whom reproducible echogenic mases with possible acoustic shadows were seen. Patients with known risk factors for hyperlipidaemia were excluded from the study. The body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio (WHR) were determined for each patient. Seven (4 males and 3 females) had USS evidence of gallstone disease. The body mass index for the individuals ranged from 14.7 to 34.5 kg/m2 with a mean of 23.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2 . The WHR ranged from 0.81 – 1.19 with a mean of 0.95 ± 0.07. The mean serum cholesterol of the individuals with gallstone disease was 4.1 ± 1.2 mmol/L compared with 3.9 ± 0.2 mmol/L in those without gallstone disease (P > 0.05). The mean serum triglycerides of individuals with gallstone disease was 1.2 ± 0.6 mmol/L compared with 0.9 ± 0.1 mmol/L in those without gallstone disease (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the mean serum lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) of individuals with gallstone disease tended to be higher than those without gallstone disease but the difference is of no statistical significance.