> On Fri, 12 Nov 1999, Ben Balzer wrote:
>
> > Secondly, gallstones are a disease of "civilisation".
>
> Out of curiosity, how do we know this?
>
25% of 70 year olds had them 15 years ago- presumably even more now. Based
on theories of biliary lithogenesis, my educated guess that it's a disease
of civilisation.

The old saying was that gallstone affect fat fertile forty-year-old-females.

Now it's post partum primipara pre-pregnancy (contraceptive)pill poppers.
The strong association with overweight is a good start to being a Neolithic
disease. I've heard of exercise being protective against it.The increasing
incidence in youngsters do. OK, occasionally I'll fly by the seat of my
pants- I can't provide a reference showing any hunter gatherer data but I'd
put money on it being a disease of civilisation.
.