Which group of people are prone to gallstones?

People who are at high risk of gallstones include obese people, sedentary people, people who eat high-fat diets, and middle-aged and elderly women. These specific groups are more likely to face the risk of bile abnormalities and stone formation due to factors such as physique, lifestyle or hormone levels.

Gallstones are a common digestive system disease. The essence of gallstones is that the components in bile (such as cholesterol and bile salts) gradually form solid precipitation and aggregate into stones due to concentration imbalance. Its formation process is closely related to the contraction function of the gallbladder, bile secretion, dietary structure and metabolic status.

Due to their lower metabolic rate and higher cholesterol levels, obese people are more likely to have supersaturated cholesterol in their bile, which promotes stone formation. People who sit for long periods of time and do not like to exercise may weaken the gallbladder's emptying function, and bile is easily retained and deposited. In addition, people who prefer high-fat, high-calorie diets often aggravate the disorder of bile composition due to excessive fat intake. For middle-aged and elderly women, the increase in estrogen, a hormone that causes increased cholesterol secretion, and the gallbladder's emptying capacity decreases relatively with age, the combination of these two factors increases the risk. People who have lost weight quickly or dieted too much recently may also have problems due to reduced gallbladder emptying.

To avoid the occurrence of gallstones, you can start with adjusting your lifestyle. It is recommended to eat a balanced diet, eat less greasy food, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, control your weight, and avoid rapid weight loss. Moderate exercise can help improve metabolism and promote the normal flow of bile. You also need to develop the habit of eating on time, because long-term fasting will interfere with bile secretion. If you belong to the above-mentioned high-risk group, you need to be more alert to symptoms, such as intermittent right upper abdominal pain, abdominal distension, indigestion and other abnormal manifestations. If necessary, you should go to a professional institution for examination to understand the specific situation to avoid further aggravation of the problem.