Epidemiology of gallstone disease in Chandigarh: a community-based study.

BACKGROUND: Cholelithiasis is frequent in our country (India), and is a common cause for abdominal surgery. We studied the prevalence of gallstone disease and its association with various risk factors in the city of Chandigarh. METHODS: A house-to-house survey of residents aged 15 years or above in a subsector of Chandigarh was conducted as a part of a pilot survey. All individuals with a history of gallstone disease, and equal or more number of asymptomatic individuals were asked to attend the outpatient department of the Postgraduate Medical Institute. On the basis of the pilot survey, the sample size to be studied was 2648 and we screened 2649 persons. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-four individuals attended the outpatient services of the Institute, and 248 underwent an ultrasound. There were 37 symptomatic and 211 asymptomatic individuals (male: female, 93:155). Gallstone disease was seen in 24 out of 37 (64.9%) in the symptomatic, and seven out of 211 (3.3%) in the asymptomatic group. Out of these, 27 females and four males had gallstone disease (mean age: 48.30 +/- 16.03 years). Approximately 67% of patients were between 20 and 60 years of age. Gallstone disease was more frequently seen in those from high socioeconomic status as compared to middle socioeconomic status (chi2 = 8.9, d.f. = 1, P < 0.01), and in multiparous as compared to nulliparous females (chi2 = 4.8, d.f. = 1, P < 0.05). Body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a vegetarian/non-vegetarian diet did not influence the prevalence of gallstone disease. CONCLUSIONS: Gallstone disease is frequent in northern India. Gallstones were frequent in those belonging to high socioeconomic status and multiparous females. However, body mass index, smoking, alcohol or other dietary habits did not make a difference.

Helicobacter pylori: evidence for spouse-to-spouse transmission.

BACKGROUND: Spouse-to-spouse transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection still remains controversial. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of H. pylori infection among spouses of H. pylori-positive or -negative individuals and looked for intraspousal transmission. Twenty-five couples were studied. Initially, one individual per couple was selected as the index subject. Spouses of these H. pylori-positive or -negative index individuals underwent screening for H. pylori by serology, the rapid urease test and histology. Those couples in whom only one spouse was positive were followed up and H. pylori status was re-evaluated using the above tests after approximately 1 year in the H. pylori-negative spouse. RESULTS: Of 25 randomly selected index subjects, 18 were H. pylori positive and seven were negative. There was no significant difference in age, sex, socioeconomic status, presence of dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children in these index subjects. Spouses of H. pylori-infected index subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infection than the spouses of H. pylori-negative index subjects (83.3 vs 28.5%; P < 0.01). Age, sex, socioeconomic status, dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children were not different in H. pylori-positive or -negative spouses of H. pylori-positive index subjects. There were five such couples in whom only one spouse was H. pylori positive initially. At follow up, three of these H. pylori-negative spouses became positive. These findings suggest person-to-person transmission or common source exposure within couples.