Risk of symptomatic gallstones and cholecystectomy after a very-low-calorie diet or low-calorie diet in a commercial weight loss program: 1-year matched cohort study

BACKGROUND: Concern exists regarding gallstones as an adverse event of very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs; <800kcal per day). OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of symptomatic gallstones requiring hospital care and/or cholecystectomy in a commercial weight loss program using VLCD or low-calorie diet (LCD). DESIGN: A 1-year matched cohort study of consecutively enrolled adults in a commercial weight loss program conducted at 28 Swedish centers between 2006 and 2009. A 3-month weight loss phase of VLCD (500 kcal per day) or LCD (1200-1500 kcal per day) was followed by a 9-month weight maintenance phase. Matching (1:1) was performed by age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference and gallstone history (n = 3320:3320). Gallstone and cholecystectomy data were retrieved from the Swedish National Patient Register. RESULTS: One-year weight loss was greater in the VLCD than in the LCD group (- 11.1 versus - 8.1 kg; adjusted difference, - 2.8 kg, 95% Cl - 3.1 to - 2.4; P<0.001). During 6361 person-years, 48 and 14 gallstones requiring hospital care occurred in the VLCD and LCD groups, respectively, (152 versus 44/10000 person-years; hazard ratio, 3.4, 95% Cl 1.8-6.3; P<0.001; number-needed-to-harm, 92, 95% Cl 63-168; P<0.001). Of the 62 gallstone events, 38 (61%) resulted in cholecystectomy (29 versus 9; hazard ratio, 3.2, 95% Cl 1.5-6.8; P=0.003; number-needed-to-harm, 151, 95% Cl 94-377; P<0.001). Adjusting for 3-month weight loss attenuated the hazard ratios, but the risk remained higher with VLCD than LCD for gallstones (2.5, 95% Cl 1.3-5.1; P=0.009) and became borderline for cholecystectomy (2.2, 95% Cl 0.9-5.2; P=0.08). CONCLUSION: The risk of symptomatic gallstones requiring hospitalization or cholecystectomy, albeit low, was 3-fold greater with VLCD than LCD during the 1-year commercial weight loss program.