The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) may be increased by a history of gallstone disease, researchers at Tulane University have concluded.
Gallstone disease, one of the most common and costly gastrointestinal disorders in the United States, has similar risk factors as coronary heart disease, including diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and poor diet.
The association between the two was investigated by analyzing data from over 840,000 patients, including over 51,000 CHD cases. A history of gallstone disease raised the risk of CHD by 23%.
“Our results suggest that patients with gallstone disease should be monitored closely based on a careful assessment of both gallstone and heart disease risk factors,” said Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., study senior author and professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. “Preventing gallstone disease may also benefit heart health.”
When shared risk factors were accounted for, CHD incidence remained higher in patients with gallstone disease, supporting a direct connection. Patients with a history of gallstone disease who were otherwise healthy (no obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure), surprisingly, had a greater CHD risk than patients with these conditions.
The reason for the link between gallstone disease and CHD was not identified, but gallstones may affect bile acid secretion, which is related to cardiovascular risk factors.
The study is published in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.