Impact of Fatty Pancreas and Lifestyle on the Development of Subclinical Chronic Pancreatitis in Healthy People Undergoing a Medical Checkup

Overview

Journal Environ Health Prev Med

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2019 Feb 9

PMID 30732577

Citations 16

Authors

Makoto Fujii

Yuko Ohno

Makoto Yamada

Yoshihiro Kamada

Eiji Miyoshi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although fat accumulation in human organs is associated with a variety of diseases, there is little evidence about the effect of a fatty pancreas on the development of subclinical chronic pancreatitis over the clinical course.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study from 2008 to 2014 of patients who underwent a medical checkup consultation for fat accumulated in the pancreas. Patients included in the analysis were divided into a non-fatty pancreas group (n = 9710) and fatty pancreas group (n = 223). The primary end point was the odds ratio (OR) for chronic pancreatitis associated with fatty pancreas, which was diagnosed using ultrasonography. We used a multiple logistic regression model to estimate the OR and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: Ninety-two people were diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, including both presumptive and definitive diagnoses. Twelve people were diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis by ultrasonography among the 223 patients with fatty pancreas, and 80 patients among 9710 were diagnosed with non-fatty pancreas. The crude OR was 6.85 (95% CI 3.68, 12.75), and the multiple adjusted OR was 3.96 (95% CI 2.04, 7.66).

Conclusions: Fat accumulation in the pancreas could be a risk factor for developing subclinical chronic pancreatitis.

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