16 In particular, for the HMGCR gene region (which encodes the target of statin drugs), variants associated with lower plasma LDL-cholesterol are associated with lower risk of gallstones, whereas for the ABCG5/ABCG8 gene region, variants associated with lower plasma LDL-cholesterol are associated with higher risk of gallstones. This evidence concerns the gene ABCG8 and gallstones.