Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as ursodiol, is a naturally occurring substance in your body that plays a role in liver health. While your body produces small amounts of UDCA, it can be given as a medication in much larger doses to treat various liver and gallbladder conditions.
UDCA is primarily used to dissolve small gallstones and prevent new ones from forming, especially in people losing weight rapidly. It’s also an important treatment for certain liver diseases, such as primary biliary cholangitis.
UDCA works by replacing harmful bile acids in your body, improving bile flow, and protecting liver cells. This medication is generally well-tolerated and can significantly improve liver function and quality of life for many patients.
Ursodiol, also known as ursodeoxycholic acid, works to prevent cholesterol gallstones in a few key ways:
It lowers the liver’s cholesterol production, decreasing the risk of gallstone formation. Ursodiol helps remove the cholesterol from gallstones thereby reducing the size and eventually dissolving the stone.
It alters the bile’s composition, making it less conducive for cholesterol to solidify into stones.
Ursodiol effectively dissolves cholesterol gallstones by:
Ursodiol disperses cholesterol within
the bile, preventing it from crystallizing into stones.
It increases the bile’s capacity to dissolve cholesterol, thereby preventing new stone formation.
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