Clinical Research
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2006; 12(28): 4536-4540
Published online Jul 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i28.4536
A population-based follow-up study on gallstone disease among type 2 diabetics in Kinmen, Taiwan
Tao-Hsin Tung, Hsiao-Man Ho, Hui-Chuan Shih, Pesus Chou, Jorn-Hon Liu, Victor TK Chen, De-Chuan Chan, Chi-Ming Liu
Tao-Hsin Tung, Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Hsiao-Man Ho, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, National Taipei Teachers College, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Hui-Chuan Shih, Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Military General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China
Pesus Chou, Community Medicine Research Center & Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Jorn-Hon Liu, Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Victor TK Chen, Cardinal Tien Hospital; College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University; National Defence Medicine Center, Taipei, Taiwan, China
De-Chuan Chan, Division of General Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Chi-Ming Liu, Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Community Medicine Research Center and Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Supported by the grants from the Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center, No. 93-25
Co-first-author: Pesus Chou
Correspondence to: Dr Chi-Ming Liu, Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, China. ch2783@chgh.org.tw
Telephone: +886-2-28264400-3004   Fax: +886-2-28264550
Received: January 24, 2006
Revised: March 12, 2006
Accepted: February 18, 2006
Published online: July 28, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To assess the incidence of and risk factors for gallstone disease (GSD) among type 2 diabetics in Kinmen, Taiwan.

METHODS: A screening program for GSD was performed by two specialists who employed real-time abdominal ultrasound to examine the abdominal region after patients had fasted for at least eight hours. Screening, which was conducted in 2001, involved 848 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After exclusion of 63 subjects with prevalent GSD, 377 participants without GSD were invited in 2002 for a second round of screening. A total of 281 (74.5%) subjects were re-examined.

RESULTS: Among the 281 type 2 diabetics who had no GSD at the first screening, 10 had developed GSD by 2002. The incidence was 3.56% per year (95% CI: 1.78% per year-6.24% per year). Using a Cox regression model, age (RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00-1.14), waist circumference (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01-1.29), and ALT (RR = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.01-1.26) appeared to be significantly correlated with development of GSD.

CONCLUSION: Older age is a known risk factor for the development of GSD. Our study shows that greater waist circumference and elevated ALT levels are also associated with the development of GSD among type 2 diabetics in Kinmen.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Gallstone disease, Incidence density, Population-based study