Gallstones rising among young people in summer…beware of crash dieting
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St. Peter's Hospital 26-08-14 00:00Main content
Gallstones rising among young people in summer…beware of crash dieting
July-August patient growth among people in their 20s-50s outpaces the 60-plus group
Rapid weight loss and extreme food restriction raise gallstone risk
Sudden biliary colic lasting 30 minutes to several hours…don't mistake it for indigestion or gastritis
Reporter Choi In-hwan Posted 2026.08.14 10:12
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The summer increase in ‘gallstones in younger adults’ is 1.7 times higher than in those aged 60 and over. Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital
The summer increase in ‘gallstones in younger adults’ is 1.7 times higher than in those aged 60 and over. Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital
Crash dieting and irregular meals over the summer can raise the risk of gallstone disease, so caution is advised. Over the past three years the summer increase in gallstone patients in their 20s to 50s has outpaced that of people aged 60 and over, so if sudden upper abdominal pain keeps recurring while dieting, it is best not to dismiss it as simple indigestion or gastritis.
According to St. Peter's Hospital on the 14th, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data show that the number of patients treated for gallstone disease in Korea rose from 192,551 in 2018 to about 286,700 last year, an increase of roughly 49% over seven years.
Gallstone disease mostly affects older people, but the number of younger patients has recently been rising in summer as well.
Over the past three years, the average monthly increase in patients in July and August compared with June was 8.4% among people in their 20s and 30s and 9.4% among those in their 40s and 50s. That is about 1.5 and 1.7 times the 5.6% increase seen in people aged 60 and over over the same period.
Park Kwan-tae, Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, explained, “Gallstone disease is influenced by a range of factors, including obesity, eating habits and rapid weight loss.” He added, “In summer in particular, short-term dieting, irregular meals and extreme dietary restriction all increase, so the risk of gallstone disease rises among younger people.”
Gallstone disease is a condition in which sediment in the bile settles and hardens into stone-like concretions in the gallbladder or bile ducts. Gallstones can form when the balance among the components of bile — cholesterol, fats, bile salts, protein and bilirubin — is disrupted.
The most common type, the cholesterol gallstone, is influenced by obesity and a diet based on meat and high-fat food. Estrogen, the female hormone, is also cited as a factor that raises cholesterol levels in the bile.
Conversely, restricting food intake excessively in order to lose weight can also be a problem. Losing weight rapidly over a short period or staying in a fasted state for long stretches lowers gallbladder function and lets bile stagnate, which can raise the risk of gallstones.
Rapid weight loss with GLP-1 drugs, whose use has been increasing recently, is also being linked to a higher risk of gallbladder disease such as gallstones. Extreme fasting and very-low-fat, very-low-calorie diets can likewise reduce gallbladder contraction.
Director Park said, “Rapid weight loss over a short period and food restriction in particular weaken gallbladder function and readily give rise to gallstones.”
To lower the risk of gallstones, it is recommended to exercise regularly, keep to regular eating habits and lose weight gradually over time rather than shedding a large amount in a short period. Those with a family history of gallstone disease or who are obese also need to pay attention to managing their lifestyle.
Because gallstones often cause no symptoms, they are frequently found by chance on abdominal ultrasound during a health screening. Not every gallstone has to be treated, but the location and size of the stones and whether symptoms are present should be checked to assess the risk of complications such as cholecystitis, cholangitis or pancreatitis.
The characteristic symptom of gallstone disease is a sudden attack of 'biliary colic'. It occurs when a stone blocks the cystic duct and pressure inside the gallbladder rises, producing severe pain in the upper abdomen or the right upper abdomen.
Unlike gastritis or ordinary indigestion, the pain begins abruptly and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. It may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting, and if similar pain recurs after overeating or eating fatty food, gallstone disease can be suspected.
If the pain lasts more than five to six hours or is accompanied by fever, complications such as acute cholecystitis are possible, so prompt medical attention is needed.
Gallstone disease is diagnosed primarily by abdominal ultrasound, with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) performed if necessary. The location and size of the stones, the presence of inflammation and the symptoms are then considered together to decide between observation and treatment.
If there are no symptoms and the risk of complications is not high, the condition can be monitored without separate treatment. If the stones cause pain or the risk of complications is high, surgical treatment such as cholecystectomy is considered.
In some patients with pure cholesterol stones smaller than 1.5cm and preserved gallbladder function, drug therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may be used. The stones can recur once the medication is stopped, however, so the treatment plan must be set according to a specialist's judgement.
Director Park said, “Even among patients without symptoms, about 1–2% are known to develop pain or other symptoms each year, so continued follow-up and management are important.” He added, “Avoid lifestyle habits that raise the risk of gallstones, and if sudden abdominal pain or digestive symptoms keep recurring, we recommend getting an accurate diagnosis from a specialist.”
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#StPetersHospital
#Gallstones
July-August patient growth among people in their 20s-50s outpaces the 60-plus group
Rapid weight loss and extreme food restriction raise gallstone risk
Sudden biliary colic lasting 30 minutes to several hours…don't mistake it for indigestion or gastritis
Reporter Choi In-hwan Posted 2026.08.14 10:12
Copy
Subscribe
The summer increase in ‘gallstones in younger adults’ is 1.7 times higher than in those aged 60 and over. Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital
The summer increase in ‘gallstones in younger adults’ is 1.7 times higher than in those aged 60 and over. Courtesy of St. Peter's Hospital
Crash dieting and irregular meals over the summer can raise the risk of gallstone disease, so caution is advised. Over the past three years the summer increase in gallstone patients in their 20s to 50s has outpaced that of people aged 60 and over, so if sudden upper abdominal pain keeps recurring while dieting, it is best not to dismiss it as simple indigestion or gastritis.
According to St. Peter's Hospital on the 14th, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data show that the number of patients treated for gallstone disease in Korea rose from 192,551 in 2018 to about 286,700 last year, an increase of roughly 49% over seven years.
Gallstone disease mostly affects older people, but the number of younger patients has recently been rising in summer as well.
Over the past three years, the average monthly increase in patients in July and August compared with June was 8.4% among people in their 20s and 30s and 9.4% among those in their 40s and 50s. That is about 1.5 and 1.7 times the 5.6% increase seen in people aged 60 and over over the same period.
Park Kwan-tae, Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, explained, “Gallstone disease is influenced by a range of factors, including obesity, eating habits and rapid weight loss.” He added, “In summer in particular, short-term dieting, irregular meals and extreme dietary restriction all increase, so the risk of gallstone disease rises among younger people.”
Gallstone disease is a condition in which sediment in the bile settles and hardens into stone-like concretions in the gallbladder or bile ducts. Gallstones can form when the balance among the components of bile — cholesterol, fats, bile salts, protein and bilirubin — is disrupted.
The most common type, the cholesterol gallstone, is influenced by obesity and a diet based on meat and high-fat food. Estrogen, the female hormone, is also cited as a factor that raises cholesterol levels in the bile.
Conversely, restricting food intake excessively in order to lose weight can also be a problem. Losing weight rapidly over a short period or staying in a fasted state for long stretches lowers gallbladder function and lets bile stagnate, which can raise the risk of gallstones.
Rapid weight loss with GLP-1 drugs, whose use has been increasing recently, is also being linked to a higher risk of gallbladder disease such as gallstones. Extreme fasting and very-low-fat, very-low-calorie diets can likewise reduce gallbladder contraction.
Director Park said, “Rapid weight loss over a short period and food restriction in particular weaken gallbladder function and readily give rise to gallstones.”
To lower the risk of gallstones, it is recommended to exercise regularly, keep to regular eating habits and lose weight gradually over time rather than shedding a large amount in a short period. Those with a family history of gallstone disease or who are obese also need to pay attention to managing their lifestyle.
Because gallstones often cause no symptoms, they are frequently found by chance on abdominal ultrasound during a health screening. Not every gallstone has to be treated, but the location and size of the stones and whether symptoms are present should be checked to assess the risk of complications such as cholecystitis, cholangitis or pancreatitis.
The characteristic symptom of gallstone disease is a sudden attack of 'biliary colic'. It occurs when a stone blocks the cystic duct and pressure inside the gallbladder rises, producing severe pain in the upper abdomen or the right upper abdomen.
Unlike gastritis or ordinary indigestion, the pain begins abruptly and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. It may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting, and if similar pain recurs after overeating or eating fatty food, gallstone disease can be suspected.
If the pain lasts more than five to six hours or is accompanied by fever, complications such as acute cholecystitis are possible, so prompt medical attention is needed.
Gallstone disease is diagnosed primarily by abdominal ultrasound, with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) performed if necessary. The location and size of the stones, the presence of inflammation and the symptoms are then considered together to decide between observation and treatment.
If there are no symptoms and the risk of complications is not high, the condition can be monitored without separate treatment. If the stones cause pain or the risk of complications is high, surgical treatment such as cholecystectomy is considered.
In some patients with pure cholesterol stones smaller than 1.5cm and preserved gallbladder function, drug therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may be used. The stones can recur once the medication is stopped, however, so the treatment plan must be set according to a specialist's judgement.
Director Park said, “Even among patients without symptoms, about 1–2% are known to develop pain or other symptoms each year, so continued follow-up and management are important.” He added, “Avoid lifestyle habits that raise the risk of gallstones, and if sudden abdominal pain or digestive symptoms keep recurring, we recommend getting an accurate diagnosis from a specialist.”
Telegram subscription promotion banner
#StPetersHospital
#Gallstones