Rapid weight gain or loss, obesity, dieting, and lack of exercise can cause gallstones to form and increase in size over time.
Gallbladder stones form when bile has too much cholesterol, bilirubin, not enough bile salts, or the gallbladder functions abnormally. People with gallstones smaller than 3 cm in size, without symptoms or complications, can be monitored periodically without surgery.
Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, said people with small gallstones should change their lifestyle and understand the risk factors that can increase the size of the stones. , thereby adjusting living habits to avoid dangerous effects on health.
Weight gain and obesity
Obesity is one of the leading factors that increase the risk of gallstones, causing them to develop. Being overweight or obese causes excess cholesterol in the bile, and cholesterol accumulates over time to form stones. The fatter a person is, the higher the risk of developing stones, and the stones are more likely to increase in size quickly.
Lose Weight Fast
Losing weight too quickly, that is, more than 1.5 kg per week, increases the possibility of gallstones forming. The gallbladder has the role of secreting digestive juices to break down fats in food. When fasting or restricting calories to lose weight, the gallbladder cannot do this, causing bile to stagnate. Over time, the juices bind together to form stones and increase in size.
Weight is related to stone formation. Image: Mr. Chi
Diet
Dieting changes the balance of bile salts and cholesterol in the gallbladder. Cholesterol levels increase while bile salt levels decrease. Dieters have the habit of fasting for long periods of time, skipping breakfast, eating less than usual, reducing gallbladder contractions. If the gallbladder does not contract regularly to empty bile, gallstones are likely to form and grow larger.
Sedentary
Sedentary habits can cause weight gain or slow down the movement of the gallbladder, allowing gallstones to accumulate and grow larger. Exercise helps improve hepatobiliary function by increasing bile salt excretion and increasing intestinal motility, preventing gallstone formation.
Physical activity also has an indirect protective effect by increasing HDL and improving plasma triglyceride levels, releasing insulin to help reduce bile cholesterol saturation. Dr. Khanh recommends exercising at least 30 minutes a day, regularly every day of the week to help reduce the possibility of developing gallstones.
Age
Older people, especially those over 40, are at higher risk of gallstones due to decreased cholesterol activity, which limits the enzyme that synthesizes bile acids. Decreased activity of this enzyme leads to cholesterol saturation, which affects the ability to empty the gallbladder.
Dr. Khanh recommends that gallstone patients with symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, jaundice, sweating, chills, and vomiting should go to the hospital for timely examination and treatment to avoid complications of acute cholecystitis. Biliary tract infection, acute pancreatitis…