The aim of this study was to determine the effect of age, overweight and food consumption on the number and size of cholesterol stones and bile composition in west Algerian women undergoing surgery for cholelithiasis. Patients were divided into four groups according to body mass index (BMI, weight/height², kg/m²) and age. The highest number of patients with cholesterol gallstones was observed in the older women, in particular in those being overweight. In all patients, the stone number and size was approximately similar. The same dietary consumption was observed in older and young patients. Overweight patients were characterized by higher energy consumption (14.5 ± 2.0 MJ·day^–1) versus normal-weight patients (10.6 ± 1.3 MJ·day^–1; p < 0.01) and versus Mediterranean diet (8 MJ·day^–1). In normal-weight patients, the cholesterol saturation index (CSI) was higher in older patients (+56%) versus young patients while it diminished (–53%) in older overweight versus young patients. In older patients, the CSI was fourfold higher in normal-weight compared to overweight patients (p < 0.001). In conclusion, differences in food consumption were noted in overweight patients compared to normal-weight patients. Advanced age and overweight impaired biliary lipid composition, increased the number of patients with cholesterol gallstones but did not significantly affect the physical characteristics of west Algerian women.

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