The association between dietary fatty acid intake and gallstone disease: a case-control study

Purpose The present study was designed with the aim of investigating the association between different dietary fatty acids and the risk of Gallstone disease (GSD). Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a hospital-based, case-control study on 189 newly diagnosed GSD patients and 342 controls. Total fat and individual fatty acids, including monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) were assessed. Findings Increased risk of GSD was observed in the highest tertile of total dietary fat (OR = 1.6, CI 95%: 1.09–2.8, p = 0.002) in the fully adjusted model. Comparing the highest intake with the first tertile, showed that intake of PUFA was significantly associated with a decrease in the risk of GSD (OR = 0.87, CI 95%: 0.5–1.5, p = 0.001), and intake of SFA (OR = 1.3, CI 95%: 1.07–2.2, p = 0.001) was associated with an increase in the risk of gallstones. Originality/value In this study, for the first time, we explored the role of dietary fatty acids in the development of GSD, including PUFA, MUFA and SFA. Their results could help elucidate the association between fatty acids and GSD more precisely and may be beneficial in prevention and treatment of cholelithiasis.