Fig. 2: Association between cheese intake frequency and cholelithiasis risk: hazard ratios from univariable and multivariable analyses with different cholesterol adjustments.

This figure illustrates the association between cheese intake frequency and cholelithiasis risk, quantified by hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals. It employs multiple analytical models, accounts for cholesterol levels, and examines both all cholelithiasis diagnoses and cases excluding 540 self-reported ones. Panels (a–d) focus on all cholelithiasis diagnoses: Panel (a) contrasts univariable and multivariable models for the association, while (b–d) display multivariable models without and with additional adjustment for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, respectively. Panels (e–h) analyze cases excluding self-reported ones: Panel (e) compares univariable and multivariable models for the association, and (f–h) present multivariable models without and with additional adjustment for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, respectively. All models include covariates such as age, sex, Townsend deprivation index, ethnic background, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol intake frequency, with “Never” cheese intake as the reference category. Notably, the blue double arrows across Panels (a–h) all signify multivariable analysis. The orange double arrows represent univariable analysis in Panels (a, e); in (b–d), they denote multivariable analysis for all cholelithiasis diagnoses with additional adjustment for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, respectively; and in (f–h), they denote multivariable analysis for cases excluding 540 self-reported ones with additional adjustment for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, respectively.