A recent meta-analysis indicated a positive concurrent and bidirectional link between gallstone illness and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Investigators sought to determine the bidirectional link between gallstone disease and NAFLD. A total of 5 electronic databases were explored. With the aid of Reviewer Manager 5.3, the connection was examined using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Ten trials with 284,512 subjects each met the standards for gallstone disease predicting NAFLD onset.

NAFLD was more common in gallstone disease patients (Odds ratio [OR]: 1.48), particularly moderate-to-severe NAFLD (OR: 1.63), with females being at a greater risk. In 8 studies involving 326,922 participants, the inverse link was explored. In comparison to the non-NAFLD group, the occurrence of gallstone disease was higher in NAFLD patients (OR:1.71) and may be influenced by the female sex (OR: 4.18) and a high body-mass index (OR: 1.80). Additionally, the Chinese population corroborated this reciprocal connection. Therefore, doctors may alert NAFLD possibility in people with gallstone disease and vice versa.