Tsai C-J et al. (2005) Dietary carbohydrates and glycaemic load and the incidence of symptomatic gall stone disease in men. Gut 54: 823–828

A new analysis from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study in the US has linked diets high in carbohydrate to an increased risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in men.

The study population included 44,525 US male health professionals: dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, optometrists, osteopathic physicians, and podiatrists, who returned a mailed questionnaire providing data on their diet, medications and medical history between 1986 and 1998. During this period, there were 1,810 incident cases of symptomatic gallstone disease, of which 1,025 resulted in cholecystectomy. In a multivariate analysis that accounted for factors such as age, BMI, and medications, men in the highest quintile of carbohydrate intake were at a significantly higher risk of gallstone disease than those in the lowest quintile (relative risk 1.59, 95% CI 1.25–2.02). The corresponding relative risks for dietary glycemic load and dietary glycemic index were 1.50 (95% CI 1.20–1.88) and 1.18 (95%CI 1.01–1.39).

The authors discuss these findings with respect to previous studies in the field and warn that it might be inappropriate to recommend low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.