Male gender and obesity are risk factors of gallbladder polyps in a large northwest Chinese population

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and related risk factors of gallbladder polyps in a northwest Chinese population. Methods A retrospective investigation was conducted on the prevalence and risk factors of gallbladder polyps among subjects who underwent physical examination in Shanxi Harmony Healthy Examination Center, from January 2016 to December 2020. Demographic, serum biochemistry, and ultrasonography data were collected from all patients. The correlations between the prevalence of gallbladder polyps and sex, age, body mass index (BMI), serum biochemistry, liver viral markers were calculated for all patients. Results A total of 67438 people aged from 18 to 75 years were enrolled in the study. Overall prevalence of gallbladder polyps in northwest China was approximately 7.8% and with the highest prevalence among middle-aged men. Analysis risk factors for increased odds ratios (ORs) of gallbladder polyps development were female (OR = 0.746; 95%CI, 0.624–0.891, P = 0.001) and BMI(25-27.5kg/m 2 ) (OR = 1.243; 95%CI, 1.035–1.494, P = 0.020), BMI(≥ 27.5 kg/m 2 ) (OR = 1.274; 95%CI, 1.038–1.562, P = 0.020). Other demographic characteristic and serum biochemistry parameters, including blood pressure, blood lipids, liver and renal function, liver viral markers did not correlate with the prevalence of gallbladder polyps. Conclusions Prevalence of gallbladder polyps among northwest Chinese people are a little higher to those reported for other populations. Male gender and BMI were strong risk factors for gallbladder polyps formation.