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Previous research has indicated that obesity may be linked to the severity of acute pancreatitis. However, the association between abdominal and total adiposity as risk factors in the development of acute pancreatitis in a general population has not been studied. Dr Sadr-Azodi and colleagues from Sweden used the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men to examine the association between waist circumference and body mass index and the risk of first-time acute pancreatitis. Severe acute pancreatitis was defined as hospital stay of 14 days, in-hospital death, or mortality within 30 days of discharge.  | | Acute pancreatitis risk among those with a waist circumference of 105 cm was 2-fold increased | | American Journal of Gastroenterology |
In total, 68,158 individuals, aged 46-84 years, were studied for a median of 12 years. The doctors reported that during this time, 424 persons developed first-time acute pancreatitis. The risk of acute pancreatitis among those with a waist circumference of 105 cm was 2-fold increased compared with individuals with a waist circumference of 75-85 cm, when adjusted for confounders. The research team observed this association in patients with non-gallstone-related and gallstone-related acute pancreatitis. The results remained unchanged when stratifying the analyses with regards to sex or the severity of acute pancreatitis. Dr Azodi's team concluded, "The doctors reported that there was no association between body mass index and the risk of acute pancreatitis." "Abdominal adiposity, but not total adiposity, is an independent risk factor for the development of acute pancreatitis."
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