The Association Between Anthropometric Indices and Gallstone Disease: A Cross-sectional Study on the PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study Population

Background Obesity is a significant global health concern and a risk factor for gallstone disease (GSD). This study aimed to investigate the association between anthropometric indices (body mass index [BMI], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]) and GSD among the PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study (PGCS) population. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 10,520 people aged 35-70 years enrolled in the PGCS. Their demographic, anthropometric and self-reported GSD data were recorded. The chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between obesity indices (as a qualitative variable) and GSD. The association between obesity indices (as a quantitative variable) and GSD was examined using logistic regression analysis. For evaluating the power of obesity indices in predicting GSD, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was assessed. Results Overall, the prevalence of GSD was higher in people with BMI≥30 kg/m², obese people, and those with WHtR ≥0.5 (P<0.05). The odds ratio of developing GSD increased with the increase of BMI, WHR and WHtR, where women had higher odds ratio than men. However, no statistically significant association was found between GSD and WHR based on gender. Based on the ROC curve analysis, the diagnostic power of BMI, WHR and WHtR for predicting GSD was 63% (95% CI, 62.1%, 63.9%), 59.8% (95% CI, 58.9%, 60.8%) and 67.2% (95% CI, 66.3%, 68.1%), respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of GSD is higher in obese people, particularly females. Increased BMI, WHR, and WHtR are associated with an increased risk of GSD, with women being at a higher risk than men. The WHtR has a significantly higher power for predicting GSD than BMI and WHR.