CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Background: Gallstone disease (GD) incidence and prevalence rates differbetween populations. Diet and lifestyle may be involved in GD develop-ment. To our knowledge, no study to date has evaluated quantitative dataon diet when studying the relationship between fat consumption levels andGD in an Argentinean population. The present study aimed to assess theassociation between dietary fat intake and GD.Methods: A nested case?control study design was applied. Data were takenfrom subjects who participated in a previous cross-sectional study carriedout in a random sample of asymptomatic people in Rosario, Argentina. Par-ticipants underwent a personal interview, and current weight and height,ancestor?s ethnicity, and socio-economic status were recorded. Applying afood-frequency questionnaire and a food photography atlas, quantitativedietary data were estimated by combining the intake frequency, portion sizeand food composition. Logistic regression analysis was used to computeodds ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted by age, sex, ancestor?sethnicity, body mass index and daily total energy intake as potential con-founders.Results: In total, 114 patients were studied (49 cases and 65 controls), with-out any statistically significant differences for age, sex, socio-economic sta-tus, body mass index and ancestry. The mean energy intake was higher incases than in controls, and significant differences were found for dietary fatconsumption. Obese or overweight people have a higher GD risk than sub-jects with normal weight. Increased GD risks were associated with highintakes of energy, total fat, and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.Conclusions: According to our results, total fat, saturated and monounsatu-rated fatty acids high intakes are associated with increased GD risk.