Gallstone Disease and Increased Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease. Causal Association or Epiphenomenon?

In summary, although it is not proven that there is a causal link between GD and IHD, it is important that clinicians are aware of the significant association between GD and risk of IHD. For patients with GD, we suggest that a multidisci- plinary approach based on a careful evaluation of coexisting cardiometabolic risk factors and monitoring for IHD and liver complications is now warranted. It is possible to speculate that long-term statin therapy in patients with GD might exert a beneficial effect not only on IHD prevention but also on the cholesterol gallstone formation, consequently decreasing the need for cholestectomy.2 However, it is likely that new ran- domized clinical trials are needed to test the effect of statins on GD to address this issue.