Gallstone disease (GSD) and kidney stone disease (KSD) may share metabolic pathways, however their association remains unclear. This study aimed to explore their relationship using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
The cross-sectional analysis included 121,550 participants in the Taiwan Biobank, and the association between self-reported GSD and KSD was examined using logistic regression. The longitudinal analysis included 25,208 participants without prior KSD, and the risk of incident KSD was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for demographics, metabolic factors, lifestyle factors, and laboratory data.
In the cross-sectional cohort, the prevalence of KSD was higher in the participants with GSD (11% vs. 6%, p < 0.001). In adjusted analysis, GSD was associated with a 51% increased risk of KSD (odds ratio: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.38-1.65, p < 0.001). In the longitudinal analysis, the participants with GSD had a higher incidence of KSD (5% vs. 2%, p < 0.001), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.80 (95% CI: 1.36-2.38, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed a significant interaction by sex but not by age, indicating a stronger association in women.
Our results showed that GSD was an independent risk factor for KSD, suggesting shared metabolic mechanisms. Future studies should explore preventive strategies targeting the pathways underlying these mechanisms.
International journal of medical sciences. 2026 Apr 08*** epublish ***
Yu-Ting Lin, Jia-In Lee, Szu-Chia Chen, Shu-Pin Huang, Jiun-Hung Geng
Post Graduate Year (PGY) Training, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan., Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan., Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 812015, Taiwan., Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan., Center for Big Data Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan.