Association of a History of Gallbladder Disease with a Reduced Concentration of High-Density-Lipoprotein Cholesterol

WE recently reported that a history of gallbladder disease was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction in women.1 We suggested that gallbladder disease might be an early manifestation of a lipid abnormality that also predicted myocardial infarction. In particular, we suggested that a low concentration of high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol might underlie the risk of both diseases. The association of a low concentration of HDL cholesterol with the risk of myocardial infarction is well established.2 3 4 Using data from examinations of 868 female twins, we studied the association of a history of gallbladder disease with a low concentration of HDL . . .