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Fluctuating weight linked to gallstones

LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Men whose lose weight intentionally have an increased risk of gallstones later in life, finds a U.S. study.

Dr. Chung-Jyi Tsai and colleagues at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington analyzed data from 24,729 men who were part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The men provided information about any weight fluctuations between 1988 and 1992.

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Overall, 1,222 cases of symptomatic gallstones developed between 1992 and 2002. Intentional weight loss is rarely sustained and is often associated with unintentional weight regain, leading to weight cycling, according to Tsai.

Those who were light cyclers had a 21-percent increased risk, moderate cyclers had a 38-percent increased risk, and severe cyclers increased their risk by 76 percent, compared to men who maintained their weight.

"Studies have shown that large swings of body weight, especially the phase of weight recovery, are particularly sensitive to the accumulation of body fat and to the development of metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, and thereby may facilitate gallstone formation," the authors write in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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