Key result
Higher Visceral Adiposity Index linked to ~62% greater odds of gallstones per unit increase.
Why the study?
Evidence regarding the association of the visceral adiposity index and dysfunctional adiposity index with gallstone presence remains limited.
Are higher visceral and dysfunctional adiposity indices associated with the presence of gallstones in adults?
Observational (n=721)
No
Are higher visceral and dysfunctional adiposity indices associated with the presence of gallstones in adults?
Higher visceral and dysfunctional adiposity indices are independently associated with gallstone presence but exhibit only moderate discriminative ability, suggesting they serve better as complementary metabolic indicators rather than stand-alone diagnostic tools.
May inform gallstone risk stratification; leaves open prospective validation of added value.
Aim: Evidence regarding the association of the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and dysfunctional adiposity index (DAI) with gallstone presence remains limited. This study evaluated their associations with gallstone presence and their discriminative performance.Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 721 adults who underwent abdominal ultrasonography between 2018 and 2024. Demographic, anthropometric, and laboratory data were retrieved from medical records. VAI and DAI were compared between patients with and without gallstones.Results: Gallstones were identified in 362 patients, while 359 patients served as gallstone-negative controls. Patients with gallstones were older (48.6±12.3 vs. 44.1±11.8 years, p<0.001), more frequently female (62.4% vs. 54.3%, p=0.028), and had higher BMI values (29.4±4.7 vs. 27.8±4.3 kg/m², p<0.001). Fasting glucose, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were higher, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were lower in the gallstone group. VAI (3.42±1.11 vs. 2.87±1.04) and DAI (1.74±0.52 vs. 1.49±0.47) were also significantly higher in patients with gallstones (both p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated moderate discrimination for VAI (area under the curve (AUC)=0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.75, p<0.001) and DAI (AUC=0.69, 95% CI: 0.65-0.74, p<0.001). Age (odds ratio (OR)=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, p=0.001), female sex (OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.02-1.89, p=0.037), VAI (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.25-2.10, p<0.001), and DAI (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.12-1.93, p=0.005) were found independently associated with gallstone presence.Conclusion: Higher VAI and DAI values were independently associated with gallstone presence. However, their moderate discriminative performance suggests that they should be considered complementary metabolic indicators rather than stand-alone diagnostic tools.
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Yekenkurul et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Gallstone disease (n=721). Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) vs. Gallstone-negative controls was evaluated on Association of VAI with gallstone presence (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.25-2.10, p=<0.001). Higher Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) values were independently associated with gallstone presence, with each one-unit increase in VAI increasing the odds of gallstones by 62% (OR 1.62).
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