Plasma lipids and insulin in gall stone disease: a case-control study.

Fasting plasma lipid and insulin concentrations were measured in 173 patients with gall stones and 284 hospital controls to investigate their relationship to this disease. Multivariate methods of analysis were used to estimate the net associations between individual plasma variables and the risk of developing gall stones. In both sexes increased plasma insulin values were associated with an increased risk of gall stones independently of plasma triglyceride values; increased plasma triglyceride concentrations were associated with an increased risk of gall stones in young subjects only; increased plasma total cholesterol concentrations were associated with a decreased risk of gall stones only after controlling for plasma insulin and triglyceride concentrations; while increased plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were associated with a decreased risk of gall stones, but were confounded by plasma insulin and triglyceride values. These associations were independent of obesity and dietary intake.