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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1438170

The link between serum cotinine levels and gallstones prevalence in adults: a cross-sectional analysis using NHANES data (2017-2020)

Provisionally accepted
Xin Liu Xin Liu 1Zheng Zhang Zheng Zhang 1*Haoran Wang Haoran Wang 1Shah Faisal Shah Faisal 1*Meng He Meng He 2*Sheng Tai Sheng Tai 1*Yujia Lin Yujia Lin 1*
  • 1 Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • 2 Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Gallstones represent a prevalent health issue globally, resulting in significant annual healthcare costs. While tobacco exposure is recognized for its association with numerous diseases, its correlation with gallstones remains contentious. Serum cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, serves as a widely utilized indicator for assessing tobacco exposure. Crucially, no research has yet examined the association between serum cotinine levels and the gallstones. Methods: This study is designed as a cross-sectional analysis, utilizing data from the NHANES public database. The relationship between serum cotinine levels and gallstones was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models and smooth curve fitting. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were performed to examine the potential contributions of different populations and covariates to the findings. Results: A total of 5,856 participants were included in this study. After adjusting for relevant covariates, the multiple logistic regression model results indicated that for each unit increase in serum cotinine concentration above 0.29 ng/mL, there was a 29% increase in the prevalence of gallstones. Furthermore, smooth curve fitting analysis revealed a positive correlation between these variables. These findings underscore the impact of tobacco exposure on gallstone prevalence. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a positive correlation between tobacco exposure, as measured by serum cotinine levels, and the prevalence of gallstones, thus adding to the body of existing research on this relationship.

    Keywords: gallstones1, serum cotinine2, tobacco exposure3, Smoking4, NHANES5

    Received: 29 May 2024; Accepted: 30 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Zhang, Wang, Faisal, He, Tai and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Zheng Zhang, Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Shah Faisal, Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Meng He, Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Sheng Tai, Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Yujia Lin, Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China

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