Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study

Abstract Background Gallstones represent a significant global health challenge, impacting both the healthcare system and the broader socio-economic landscape. Despite their prevalence, the relationship between vitamin intake and gallstone development remains underexplored, which this research aims t...

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Main Authors: Pinchu Chen, Chenfenglin Yang, Jieru Ding, Yao Li, Wen Hu, Qifan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:European Journal of Medical Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-02841-8
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author Pinchu Chen
Chenfenglin Yang
Jieru Ding
Yao Li
Wen Hu
Qifan Zhang
author_facet Pinchu Chen
Chenfenglin Yang
Jieru Ding
Yao Li
Wen Hu
Qifan Zhang
author_sort Pinchu Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Gallstones represent a significant global health challenge, impacting both the healthcare system and the broader socio-economic landscape. Despite their prevalence, the relationship between vitamin intake and gallstone development remains underexplored, which this research aims to address. Methods A total of 4,628 participants from the 2017–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were included in this study. Data on gallstones were collected through self-reported questionnaires. We conducted a multifactorial logistic regression analysis to explore the association between vitamin intake and the prevalence of gallstones. Various subgroups were analyzed, and potential interactions were tested. Results Female gender, advanced age, obesity, and hyperlipidemia were identified as risk factors associated with a higher prevalence of gallstones. Higher dietary intake of vitamin B6 (OR: 0.73, 95% CI 0.61–0.88), niacin (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.95–0.98) and vitamin E (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) was associated with reduced gallstone risk in unadjusted models. However, after full adjustment (Model 3), only niacin retained marginal significance (OR: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–1.00, p = 0.035). Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested potential linear relationships between niacin and gallstone risk. Conclusions The findings from the NHANES database indicate that increased dietary intake of vitamin B6, niacin, and vitamin E may lower the risk of gallstones in the U.S. population. The mechanisms underlying the role of vitamins in gallstone formation warrant further exploration.
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spelling doaj-art-9cbf1ad687b64d8ea31916559cc4bdba2025-08-20T03:45:23ZengBMCEuropean Journal of Medical Research2047-783X2025-07-013011910.1186/s40001-025-02841-8Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES studyPinchu Chen0Chenfenglin Yang1Jieru Ding2Yao Li3Wen Hu4Qifan Zhang5Division of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityDivision of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityThe Second Clinical Medical School, Southern Medical UniversityDivision of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityDivision of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityAbstract Background Gallstones represent a significant global health challenge, impacting both the healthcare system and the broader socio-economic landscape. Despite their prevalence, the relationship between vitamin intake and gallstone development remains underexplored, which this research aims to address. Methods A total of 4,628 participants from the 2017–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were included in this study. Data on gallstones were collected through self-reported questionnaires. We conducted a multifactorial logistic regression analysis to explore the association between vitamin intake and the prevalence of gallstones. Various subgroups were analyzed, and potential interactions were tested. Results Female gender, advanced age, obesity, and hyperlipidemia were identified as risk factors associated with a higher prevalence of gallstones. Higher dietary intake of vitamin B6 (OR: 0.73, 95% CI 0.61–0.88), niacin (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.95–0.98) and vitamin E (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) was associated with reduced gallstone risk in unadjusted models. However, after full adjustment (Model 3), only niacin retained marginal significance (OR: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–1.00, p = 0.035). Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested potential linear relationships between niacin and gallstone risk. Conclusions The findings from the NHANES database indicate that increased dietary intake of vitamin B6, niacin, and vitamin E may lower the risk of gallstones in the U.S. population. The mechanisms underlying the role of vitamins in gallstone formation warrant further exploration.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-02841-8CholelithiasisVitaminNutritionNHANESDiet
spellingShingle Pinchu Chen
Chenfenglin Yang
Jieru Ding
Yao Li
Wen Hu
Qifan Zhang
Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
European Journal of Medical Research
Cholelithiasis
Vitamin
Nutrition
NHANES
Diet
title Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
title_full Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
title_fullStr Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
title_full_unstemmed Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
title_short Association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in US adults: a cross-sectional NHANES study
title_sort association of dietary vitamin intake with gallstone risk in us adults a cross sectional nhanes study
topic Cholelithiasis
Vitamin
Nutrition
NHANES
Diet
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-02841-8
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