Clinical gallbladder disease in NIDDM subjects. Relationship to duration of diabetes and severity of glycemia.

Abstract

To examine the relationship between the prevalence of gallbladder disease and severity of glycemia among diabetic individuals and to provide insight into whether the diabetes-gallstone association is a causal one, because NIDDM patients have an increased prevalence of clinical gallbladder disease. We examined 462 diabetic individuals identified during the San Antonio Heart Study, a population-based survey of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Diabetes was diagnosed according to National Diabetes Data Group criteria. The prevalence of self-reported gallbladder disease was 34.2% in diabetic women and 7.2% in diabetic men. Although duration of diabetes was positively related to the prevalence of gallbladder disease (P < 0.01), type of therapy was not associated, and fasting glucose concentration was inversely associated with gallbladder disease. Factors other than hyperglycemia may account for the increased prevalence of gallbladder disease in diabetic subjects.