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Exercise
Linked to Lowered Risk of Gallstones
A daily run or swim could put real distance between you
and painful, debilitating gallstones, according to a study.
"We think that a very active lifestyle -- doing more
than an hour of physical activity a day, with an active
job -- can reduce your risk of gallstones by about 60 percent,"
concluded Dr. Andrew R. Hart of the University of Bristol
in the UK.
About 15 percent of us will be affected by gallstones at
some point in our lives, with the risk of stone formation
increasing with age. While most gallstones produce no symptoms
and dissolve naturally, others can cause painful blockages
that require surgical intervention.
In an interview, Hart explained that gallstones arise when
bile lying within the gall bladder collects and settles.
Over time, cholesterol found in the bile can crystallize
and form stones.
Exercise may literally "shake up" this pooled
bile, discouraging crystallization.
"The theory would be that if you do a lot of physical
activity, your bile doesn't get time to aggregate and form
cholesterol crystals to form a lot of stone," Hart
said.
Testing this theory, the UK researchers compared rates of
daily physical activity and occurrence of gallstones in
over 25,000 adults between 45 and 79 years of age. About
175 of those questioned went on to develop gallstones.
"We found that the more physical activity you do, the
less your risk of developing gallstones in the future,"
Hart said, with the most-active group exhibiting a 60 percent
drop in gallstone risk compared with inactive, "couch
potato" types.
The findings held even after the researchers accounted for
other factors known to affect gallstone risk, such as obesity,
alcohol consumption and reproductive history.
Hart said it's still too early to issue firm recommendations,
however.
"Basically we need a lot more studies looking at physical
activity and gallstones to see if the results are consistent,"
he said. For now, Hart recommends eating a sensible, low-fat,
low-sugar diet and keeping trim.
The findings were presented here Sunday as part of Digestive
Disease Week, the largest annual gathering of gastroenterologists
in the world.
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: E.J. Mundell
Net Reference 89
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