A gallbladder filled with gallstones. The gallbladder, sitting just underneath the liver, releases a compound called bile into the gut after we eat to help aid in digestion. One component of bile is cholesterol, which when too highly concentrated within the bile, can crystallize to form gallstones. . These stones can lodge within the ducts exiting the gallbladder and liver, causing abdominal pain (particularly in the right upper part of the abdomen where the gallbladder and liver are located), jaundice (or yellowing of the skin from liver dysfunction), and inflammation (called cholecystitis, a component of which we see in this picture). It's not surprising that high blood cholesterol levels predispose to the development of gallstones. In the western world, 90% of gallstones are made of crystallized cholesterol. . So... high blood cholesterol doesn't just cause atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries - elevated cholesterol can deposit and crystallize in other sites as well. The good news though, is that through lifestyle alone we can significantly prevent this. We can lower our cholesterol levels through regular aerobic exercise as well as a diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber (fiber actually binds cholesterol in our guts, preventing its absorption!) 🍏🍎🍐 📸: Robbins and Cotran, Pathology
Comments