A clear summer rise in ‘young gallstone’ patients…the cause is extreme dieting
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St. Peter's Hospital 26-08-14 20:35Main content
In July and August, gallstone cases among people in their 20s to 50s rise faster than among those aged 60 and over
If you repeatedly suffer sudden indigestion and severe abdominal pain and then recover, it is best not to dismiss it as simple gastritis or indigestion. In particular, if you have had these symptoms while dieting in summer, or felt pain after a fatty meal, 'gallstone disease' needs to be suspected.
The number of gallstone patients has been rising recently. Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service statistics show that patients treated at hospital for gallstone disease rose from 192,551 in 2018 to more than 200,000 for the first time in 2019, reaching 286,700 in 2025. Over the past seven years, gallstone patients have increased by fully 49%.
Generally, gallstone disease has had a high proportion of older patients, with about half of all patients averaging 60 or older. Recently, however, there has been a clear upward trend in ‘young gallstone disease’ patients in their 20s to 50s during the summer. Looking at the average monthly rate of increase in patients in July-August compared with June over the past three years, patients in their 20s-30s rose 8.4% and those in their 40s-50s rose 9.4%. These figures are 1.5 times and 1.7 times, respectively, the 5.6% average rate of increase among patients aged 60 and over in the same period.
Park Kwan-tae (general surgery specialist), Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, said, “Gallstone disease is influenced by several 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 grows among younger age groups.”
Crash weight loss in summer raises gallstone risk
Gallstone disease is a condition in which sediment in the bile settles and hardens into stones in the gallbladder and bile ducts. The liver produces about 750mL of bile a day. Bile is made up of cholesterol, fats, bile salts, protein and bilirubin. When the balance among these components shifts, sediment forms in the gallbladder and gallstones develop.
Of these, the cholesterol gallstone, caused by excess cholesterol in the bile, is the most common. Cholesterol stones are closely linked to obesity and a diet based on meat and high-fat food, so younger age groups need to take care. Estrogen, the female hormone, raises cholesterol levels in the bile, so women should be especially careful.
Rapid weight loss with GLP-1 drugs, whose use has been growing recently, is also reported to be linked to a higher risk of gallbladder disease such as gallstones. Extreme fasting and very-low-fat, very-low-calorie diets likewise reduce gallbladder contraction, creating conditions in which bile easily stagnates.
Pain in the upper right abdomen after a fatty meal… diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound
When gallstones block the flow of bile in the gallbladder or bile ducts, they cause a range of symptoms including abdominal pain and nausea. The characteristic symptom is biliary colic, which occurs mainly in the upper abdomen and the right upper abdomen. The pain arises when a stone blocks the cystic duct and pressure inside the gallbladder rises, and it is sometimes mistaken for indigestion, gastritis or dyspepsia.
The biliary colic caused by gallstone disease brings pain on suddenly. Unlike gastritis or indigestion, in which heartburn persists, severe pain appears abruptly and continues from 30 minutes to several hours. It may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
If pain recurs after overeating or a fatty, high-fat meal, it may be biliary colic. If the pain lasts more than 5–6 hours and is accompanied by fever, the risk of complications such as acute cholecystitis rises, so a hospital should be visited quickly.
Gallstone disease is diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, which detects gallstones in more than 90% of cases. If necessary, the bile and pancreatic ducts are also examined with CT or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). This confirms the location and size of the stones and whether they have caused inflammation, and the direction of treatment is decided according to the symptoms.
Even when gallstones are present, if there are no symptoms and no risk of gallbladder cancer or complications, the condition may simply be monitored without separate treatment. If the stones cause pain, or if the risk of complications is high even without symptoms, surgical treatment is performed according to a specialist's judgement.
When stones are 3cm or larger, or are accompanied by a porcelain (calcified) gallbladder, gallbladder polyps or pancreaticobiliary maljunction, preventive removal is considered even for asymptomatic stones. Cholecystectomy is the standard operation, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now mainly performed. The incision is small, and recovery is quick enough that discharge is possible after 1–2 days.
Regular exercise and healthy eating habits are important in preventing gallstones. Long spells of fasting and extreme dietary restriction for summer dieting are best avoided. Weight loss is better carried out slowly, over time. Regular check-ups on the health of the liver and gallbladder are also important.
Park Kwan-tae (general surgery specialist), Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, said, “Gallstone disease requires continued follow-up and management, as 1–2% of even asymptomatic patients develop pain or other symptoms.” He added, “Avoid lifestyle habits that raise the risk of gallstones, and if sudden abdominal pain or digestive symptoms recur, it is advisable to see a specialist for an accurate diagnosis.”
Source: Korea Health Log (https://www.koreahealthlog.com)
If you repeatedly suffer sudden indigestion and severe abdominal pain and then recover, it is best not to dismiss it as simple gastritis or indigestion. In particular, if you have had these symptoms while dieting in summer, or felt pain after a fatty meal, 'gallstone disease' needs to be suspected.
The number of gallstone patients has been rising recently. Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service statistics show that patients treated at hospital for gallstone disease rose from 192,551 in 2018 to more than 200,000 for the first time in 2019, reaching 286,700 in 2025. Over the past seven years, gallstone patients have increased by fully 49%.
Generally, gallstone disease has had a high proportion of older patients, with about half of all patients averaging 60 or older. Recently, however, there has been a clear upward trend in ‘young gallstone disease’ patients in their 20s to 50s during the summer. Looking at the average monthly rate of increase in patients in July-August compared with June over the past three years, patients in their 20s-30s rose 8.4% and those in their 40s-50s rose 9.4%. These figures are 1.5 times and 1.7 times, respectively, the 5.6% average rate of increase among patients aged 60 and over in the same period.
Park Kwan-tae (general surgery specialist), Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, said, “Gallstone disease is influenced by several 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 grows among younger age groups.”
Crash weight loss in summer raises gallstone risk
Gallstone disease is a condition in which sediment in the bile settles and hardens into stones in the gallbladder and bile ducts. The liver produces about 750mL of bile a day. Bile is made up of cholesterol, fats, bile salts, protein and bilirubin. When the balance among these components shifts, sediment forms in the gallbladder and gallstones develop.
Of these, the cholesterol gallstone, caused by excess cholesterol in the bile, is the most common. Cholesterol stones are closely linked to obesity and a diet based on meat and high-fat food, so younger age groups need to take care. Estrogen, the female hormone, raises cholesterol levels in the bile, so women should be especially careful.
Rapid weight loss with GLP-1 drugs, whose use has been growing recently, is also reported to be linked to a higher risk of gallbladder disease such as gallstones. Extreme fasting and very-low-fat, very-low-calorie diets likewise reduce gallbladder contraction, creating conditions in which bile easily stagnates.
Pain in the upper right abdomen after a fatty meal… diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound
When gallstones block the flow of bile in the gallbladder or bile ducts, they cause a range of symptoms including abdominal pain and nausea. The characteristic symptom is biliary colic, which occurs mainly in the upper abdomen and the right upper abdomen. The pain arises when a stone blocks the cystic duct and pressure inside the gallbladder rises, and it is sometimes mistaken for indigestion, gastritis or dyspepsia.
The biliary colic caused by gallstone disease brings pain on suddenly. Unlike gastritis or indigestion, in which heartburn persists, severe pain appears abruptly and continues from 30 minutes to several hours. It may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
If pain recurs after overeating or a fatty, high-fat meal, it may be biliary colic. If the pain lasts more than 5–6 hours and is accompanied by fever, the risk of complications such as acute cholecystitis rises, so a hospital should be visited quickly.
Gallstone disease is diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, which detects gallstones in more than 90% of cases. If necessary, the bile and pancreatic ducts are also examined with CT or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). This confirms the location and size of the stones and whether they have caused inflammation, and the direction of treatment is decided according to the symptoms.
Even when gallstones are present, if there are no symptoms and no risk of gallbladder cancer or complications, the condition may simply be monitored without separate treatment. If the stones cause pain, or if the risk of complications is high even without symptoms, surgical treatment is performed according to a specialist's judgement.
When stones are 3cm or larger, or are accompanied by a porcelain (calcified) gallbladder, gallbladder polyps or pancreaticobiliary maljunction, preventive removal is considered even for asymptomatic stones. Cholecystectomy is the standard operation, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now mainly performed. The incision is small, and recovery is quick enough that discharge is possible after 1–2 days.
Regular exercise and healthy eating habits are important in preventing gallstones. Long spells of fasting and extreme dietary restriction for summer dieting are best avoided. Weight loss is better carried out slowly, over time. Regular check-ups on the health of the liver and gallbladder are also important.
Park Kwan-tae (general surgery specialist), Director of the Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic & Vascular Center at St. Peter's Hospital, said, “Gallstone disease requires continued follow-up and management, as 1–2% of even asymptomatic patients develop pain or other symptoms.” He added, “Avoid lifestyle habits that raise the risk of gallstones, and if sudden abdominal pain or digestive symptoms recur, it is advisable to see a specialist for an accurate diagnosis.”
Source: Korea Health Log (https://www.koreahealthlog.com)