Research: SIMON and HUDES,

Listed in Issue 41

Abstract

SIMON and HUDES, General Internal Medicine Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94121 USA studied the correlates of clinical gallbladder disease among adults in the US and determined whether serum vitamin C levels are associated with a diminished prevalence of gallbladder disease.

Background

Methodology

The authors conducted cross-sectional analyses of data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results

A total of 384 women (8%) and 107 men (3%) reported a history of gallstone disease; 347 women (7%) and 81 men (2%) reported a history of cholecystectomy. The authors discovered an inverted U-shaped association between serum vitamin C level and clinical gallbladder disease among women, but not among men.

Conclusion

Vitamin C, which affects the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acids and, in turn, the development of gallbladder disease in experimental animals, may reduce the risk of clinical gallbladder disease in humans.

References

Simon JA and Hudes ES Serum ascorbic acid and other correlates of gallbladder disease among US adults Am J Public Health 88(8): 1208-12 Aug 1998.

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