Medical Health Encyclopedia

Other Risk Factors

Prolonged Intravenous Feeding. Prolonged intravenous feeding reduces the flow of bile and increases the risk for gallstones.

Crohn's Disease. Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, leads to poor reabsorption of bile salts from the digestive tract and substantially increases the risk of gallbladder disease. Patients over 60 and those who have had numerous bowel surgeries (particularly in the region where the small and large bowel meet) are at especially high risk.

Cirrhosis. Cirrhosis poses a major risk for gallstones, particularly pigment gallstones.

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Organ Transplantation. Bone marrow or solid organ transplantation increases the risk.

Medications. Octreotide (Sandostatin) poses a risk for gallstones. In addition the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as fibrates and thiazide diuretics may slightly increase the risk for gallstones.

Blood Disorders. Chronic hemolytic anemia, including sickle cell anemia, increases the risk for pigment gallstones.