Effects of steroidal contraceptives on gallbladder: a review

In regard to gallbladder disease and oral contraceptive use, more than ten controlled epidemiologic studies have been reported and reviewed in this paper. The findings presented concerning the association of oral contraceptive use with the development of a gallbladder disease are contradictory. Oral contraceptive use and use of estrogens in postmenopausal women have been reported to be associated with increased attack-rates of a gallbladder disease, but the increased risk is found higher in those using estrogens than progestin based oral contraceptives. Other studies, however, have reported little overall effect of oral contraceptive use on the risk of the gallbladder disease. Where increased risk has been documented, this has been more related to duration than overall. The increased risk of oral contraceptive use to gallbladder disease has been observed higher in the 6-12 months of usage. Only one study has reported increased risk of gallbladder disease in long-term users. The increased gallbladder disease in oral contraceptive users may be greater in multiparae than in nulliparae; pregnancy and obesity may also pose an increased risk to the disease in oral contraceptive users. However, these findings are not widely accepted.