title: Overweight is an additional prognostic factor in acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is generally accepted that there is a correlation between obesity and poor outcome in acute pancreatitis (AP); however, the relationship between overweight and the prognosis of AP is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between overweight and the prognosis of AP.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE and PubMed were searched using the terms 'acute pancreatitis', 'obesity', 'overweight', and 'body mass index' ('BMI'). All prospective clinical studies correlating BMI and AP were included. Obesity and overweight were defined as BMI ≥30 and from 25 to 30, respectively. A meta-analysis was performed with the endpoints severe AP (SAP), local complications, systemic complications, and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight studies including 939 patients were found. The incidence rates of SAP (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.34-4.60), local complications (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.20-5.57), and mortality (OR 3.81, 95% CI 1.22-11.83) were increased in overweight patients with AP. No difference was detected in the incidence of systemic complications between the normal-weight and overweight patients (OR 1.62, 95% CI 0.76-3.43). In addition, the correlation between obesity and poor prognosis was again confirmed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight is an additional prognostic factor of severity, local complications, and mortality in AP. and IAP.
authors.affiliation: Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Shi-qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Quan-xin
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xiang-ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qing-chuan
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis