Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis Greatly Raises Risk of Chronic Disease, Study Finds

(서울=뉴스1) 강승지 기자 = A new study has found that patients who experience recurrent acute pancreatitis face a dramatically increased risk of progressing to chronic pancreatitis, underscoring the importance of early management even after symptoms initially improve.

Researchers at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital said on May 19 that a team led by Professor Park Ji-young of the hospital’s gastroenterology department published the findings in the international pancreatic disease journal <em>Pancreatology.

The research team followed 501 patients who were first diagnosed with acute pancreatitis at three university hospitals in South Korea between 2010 and 2017 for up to 60 months.

The study found that 32.7% of patients, or 164 individuals, experienced a recurrence of acute pancreatitis, while 14.2%, or 71 patients, progressed to chronic pancreatitis. The leading causes of acute pancreatitis were alcohol consumption at 43.1% and gallstones at 41.5%. Among patients with recurrent disease, alcohol accounted for the largest share at 64.6%.

Researchers found that patients who experienced recurrent acute pancreatitis were 70.69 times more likely to develop chronic pancreatitis compared with those who did not suffer recurrence. The findings suggest that recurrence itself is a critical risk factor for progression to chronic disease.

Smokers were found to have a 4.09 times higher risk of recurrent acute pancreatitis compared with non-smokers. The risk of progression to chronic pancreatitis also increased 8.79-fold with alcohol consumption and 2.5-fold with smoking. Among patients with alcohol-related recurrent acute pancreatitis, those who experienced three or more recurrences faced a 4.18 times greater risk of developing chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis is a condition in which repeated inflammation gradually hardens pancreatic tissue. In addition to abdominal pain, it can cause impaired digestion, nutrient absorption disorders, fatty stools, and diabetes. Once the disease progresses, it is considered irreversible.

Professor Park said acute pancreatitis should not be viewed as a condition resolved with a single course of treatment, noting that recurrence can lead to chronic illness. She emphasized that aggressive management aimed at preventing recurrence after the first episode is critically important.

The number of acute pancreatitis patients in South Korea has been rising to around 40,000 annually, with incidence rates reported to be particularly high among middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s. Researchers stressed that smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors for both recurrence and chronic progression, making smoking cessation, abstinence from alcohol, and regular follow-up care essential.

ksj@news1.kr