Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gallstones represent a significant global health challenge, impacting both the healthcare system and the broader socio-economic landscape. Despite their prevalence, the relationship between vitamin intake and gallstone development remains underexplored, which this research aims to address. METHODS: A total of 4,628 participants from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were included in this study. Data on gallstones were collected through self-reported questionnaires. We conducted a multifactorial logistic regression analysis to explore the association between vitamin intake and the prevalence of gallstones. Various subgroups were analyzed, and potential interactions were tested. RESULTS: Female gender, advanced age, obesity, and hyperlipidemia were identified as risk factors associated with a higher prevalence of gallstones. Higher dietary intake of vitamin B6 (OR: 0.73, 95% CI 0.61-0.88), niacin (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.98) and vitamin E (OR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99) was associated with reduced gallstone risk in unadjusted models. However, after full adjustment (Model 3), only niacin retained marginal significance (OR: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-1.00, p = 0.035). Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested potential linear relationships between niacin and gallstone risk. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from the NHANES database indicate that increased dietary intake of vitamin B6, niacin, and vitamin E may lower the risk of gallstones in the U.S. POPULATION: The mechanisms underlying the role of vitamins in gallstone formation warrant further exploration.