Who gets gallstones and why

Gallstone formation is a heterogeneous disease for which supersaturation of bile with cholesterol and hemolysis of RBCs are major driving forces associated with initial formation and growth. Specific risk factors are superimposed on the gradually increasing prevalence of gallstones with age in most populations. Major risk factors associated with cholesterol gallstone formation are American Indian ancestry, female sex, obesity, and ingestion of lithogenic drugs, such as estrogen-containing preparations and clofibrate. Hemolysis and cirrhosis are risk factors for pigment stones.