Increased prevalence of clinical gallbladder disease in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

The association between non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and the prevalence of gallbladder disease remains controversial. The authors investigated this association in 1,250 men and 1,656 women from the San Antonio Heart Study (1984-1988) a population-based study of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A total of 68% of the subjects were Mexican American, a population at high risk for both gallbladder disease and NIDDM. Gallbladder disease was assessed by self-report, and the prevalence of diabetes was determined using National Diabetes Data Group criteria. NIDDM was significantly associated with gallbladder disease in Mexican-American men and women and in non-Hispanic white women. After adjustment for age, body mass index, ratio of waist-to-hip circumference, and ethnicity, using multiple logistic regression, the odds of gallbladder disease in women was 1.6 times higher if NIDDM was present (odds ratio = 1.60, 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.37). Mexican-American women also had a significantly increased prevalence of gallbladder disease relative to non-Hispanic white women (odds ratio = 2.21, 95% confidence interval 1.50-3.28). In nondiabetic women, fasting insulin was significantly related to prevalence of gallbladder disease in univariate analyses, but not in multivariate analyses. The authors conclude that women with diabetes have an increased prevalence of gallbladder disease relative to nondiabetic women and that this association is not explained by the greater adiposity or unfavorable body fat distribution of the diabetic subjects.