Gallstones
From gallstones to gallbladder disease
The gallbladder is a small organ situated underneath the liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid which is released into the small intestine during digestion, where it emulsifies fats and assists their digestion.
Gallstones form in the gallbladder. Over 80 percent of gallstones are composed of solid cholesterol; the rest is solid bilirubin (the main pigment found in bile). Gallstones are usually diagnosed by ultrasound, but other procedures such as X-rays may also be used.
The prevalence of gallstones increases appreciably with age, rising noticeably after age 40, and they are also twice as likely to occur in women than in men and in the obese1. Women with extreme obesity have a 7-fold increased risk of developing gallstones compared to non-obese women1. Although weight loss can decrease the risk of gallstones, rapid weight loss (>1.5kg/week) increases the risk1.
In Europe, it is estimated that 6-22% of the population have gallstones2. About 80 percent of people who have gallstones have no symptoms (non-symptomatic gallstones). However, in a minority of cases, gallstones trigger severe abdominal pain (symptomatic gallstones). In these instances, the gallstones can cause the gallbladder to become inflamed and this leads to gallbladder disease.
