Association between hepatic steatosis index and gallstones in US adults: A cross-sectional study of NHANES 2017-2020.

The hepatic steatosis index (HSI) is a practical indicator for screening fatty liver disease. This research aimed to evaluate the relationship between HSI and gallstones. This cross-sectional population-based investigation utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2017 to 2020. Gallstones were defined as a self-reported history of physician-diagnosed gallstones. We systematically examined the relationship between HSI and gallstones using multivariable logistic regression models that accounted for survey weighting, with stratified analyses conducted to test the consistency of the link across diverse demographic groups. This study comprised 6368 participants above 20 years old, 680 of whom had gallstones. A positive association was observed between HSI and gallstones. Following comprehensive adjustment for potential confounding variables, each unit increase in HSI was linked to a 5% rise in prevalence of gallstones (odds ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.07). Categorizing HSIs into quartiles, it was observed that participants in the top HSI quartile exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of gallstones relative to those in the bottom quartile (odds ratio = 3.78, 95% confidence interval = 2.60-5.50). Stratified analyses further confirmed that this association stayed statistically significant across most subgroups. In this cross-sectional study, higher HSI levels were associated with a higher prevalence of gallstones. However, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.