Obesity and treatment of diabetes with glyburide may both be risk factors for acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate risk factors, notably drugs, for acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
A population-based case-control study was conducted of 1.4 million inhabitants, aged 20-85 years, of four regions in Sweden between 1 January 1995 and 31 May 1998. A total of 462 case subjects were hospitalized in surgery departments for their first episode of acute pancreatitis without previous gallbladder disease. A total of 1,781 control subjects were randomly selected from a population register. Information was obtained from case records and through telephone interviews.


RESULTS
A total of 27 case subjects (6%) and 55 control subjects (3%) had prevalent diabetes. A total of 53 case subjects (11%) and 130 control subjects (7%) had a BMI >30 kg/m(2). Use of glyburide had a crude odds ratio (OR) of 3.2 (95% CI 1.5-5.9), and in a multivariate logistic regression adjusted for covariates, the OR for use of glyburide was 2.5 (1.1-5.9). BMI had a continuous OR of 1.2 (1.1-1.4) per 5 units of BMI. The relative risk for hospitalization longer than 14 days or treatment in an intensive care unit was 2.4 (1.1-5.4) among patients with a BMI >30 kg/m(2) when compared with patients with a BMI between 20 and 25 kg/m(2).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of glyburide and obesity may both be risk factors for acute pancreatitis. Obesity is associated with an extended hospitalization time in subjects with acute pancreatitis.
Blomgren
Kerstin B
KB
Pharmacoepidemiological Unit, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. kerstin.blomgren@mpa.se
Sundström
Anders
A
Steineck
Gunnar
G
Wiholm
Bengt E
BE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005905:Glyburide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D005905:Glyburide