Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: The incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) is rising with increased prevalence of obesity, which exacerbates pancreatic injury. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined as a cluster condition of cardiovascular risk factors, including hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and central obesity. We analysed if the presence of obesity and/or MS affects the course of pancreatitis.

Methods: Data were collected from 140 patients with AP between January 2010 and February 2013. Anthropometric data, including BMI and waist circumference, were measured. Biochemical tests were used including fasting glucose, triglyceride, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, and total cholesterol level. Atlanta criteria, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, and Ranson scoring system were used to define severe AP. Patients were classified as having MS based on the International Diabetic Federation criteria.

Results: The mean BMI was 30.15 kg/m². Sixteen (11.4%) patients had severe AP, whereas 124 (88.6%) patients had mild AP. We found that 62.8% of patients with AP fulfilled the criteria of MS (P=0.000). Body weight can be used to predict clinical severity of AP with significant P value=0.009.

Conclusions: The presence of MS in patients with pancreatitis is noticeable, but it does not affect the course of disease severity, whereas obesity correlates with pancreatitis severity.