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Impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus, and gallstone disease: An extended study of male self-defense officials in Japan

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Abstract

Few studies have investigated the relation between glucose tolerance status and ultrasonographically determined gallstone disease. Using a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, we examined the association of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with gallstone disease in Japanese men. Subjects were men aged 48 to 59 of the Japan Self-Defense Forces who received a preretirement health examination between October 1986 to December 1994. After exclusion of 12 men under insulin treatment in the consecutive series of 7637 men, 174 were found to have gallstones; 103 were at the state of postcholecystectomy, and 6899 had normal gallbladder. IGT and NIDDM were associated with a modestly increased risk of gallstone disease; adjusted odds ratios were 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9–1.8) for IGT and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.8–2.0) for NIDDM after adjustment for hospital, rank, smoking, alcohol use, and body mass index. Adjusted odds ratio for IGT and NIDDM combined was 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0–1.7, p=0.08). When prevalent gallstones and postcholecystectomy were considered separately, NIDDM showed a significant, positive association with postcholecystectomy, but not with prevalent gallstones. The findings add to evidence that glucose intolerance is associated with a modest increase in the risk of gallstone disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Shizuka Sasazuki & Suminori Kono

  2. Department of Public Health, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan

    Isao Todoroki, Satoshi Honjo, Yutaka Sakurai & Kazuo Wakabayashi

  3. Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital, Kasuga, Japan

    Masato Nishiwaki & Hiroaki Hamada

  4. Self-Defense Forces Kumamoto Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan

    Hiroshi Nishikawa & Hiroko Koga

  5. Self-Defense Forces Sapporo Hospital, Sapporo, Japan

    Shinsaku Ogawa

  6. Self-Defense Forces Central Hosptial, Tokyo, Japan

    Katsuya Nakagawa

Authors
  1. Shizuka Sasazuki
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  2. Suminori Kono
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  3. Isao Todoroki
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  4. Satoshi Honjo
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  5. Yutaka Sakurai
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  6. Kazuo Wakabayashi
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  7. Masato Nishiwaki
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  8. Hiroaki Hamada
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  9. Hiroshi Nishikawa
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  10. Hiroko Koga
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  11. Shinsaku Ogawa
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  12. Katsuya Nakagawa
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Sasazuki, S., Kono, S., Todoroki, I. et al. Impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus, and gallstone disease: An extended study of male self-defense officials in Japan. Eur J Epidemiol 15, 245–251 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007506627119

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007506627119

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