title: Is obesity an indicator of complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis? An updated meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a meta-analyisis on whether obesity could be a prognostic indicator on the severity, development of complications and mortality of acute pancreatitis (AP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible articles were retrieved using electronic databases. Clinical studies evaluating the association between obesity and disease course of patients with AP were included. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated and pooled using RevMan 4.2.8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 12 clinical studies with a total of 1483 patients were included in the analysis. Obese patients had a significantly increased risk of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP; RR=2.20, 95% CI 1.82-2.66, P<0.05), local complication (RR=2.68, 95% CI 2.09-3.43, P<0.05), systemic complication (RR=2.14, 95% CI 1.42-3.21, P<0.05) and in-hospital mortality (RR=2.59, 95% CI 1.66-4.03, P<0.05) compared with non-obese patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is a definite risk factor of morbidity and in-hospital mortality for AP and may serve as a prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Su Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guang Su
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Shu Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors