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Updated: May 23, 2026

Development and Validation of a Methodology for Establishing Obese Rat Models with Typical Fatty Pancreas
Published on: November 11, 2025
Is obesity an indicator of complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis? An updated meta-analysis
Su Mei Chen1, Guang Su Xiong, Shu Ming Wu
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China.
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.
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Acute pancreatitis is characterized by rapid inflammation of the pancreas, often caused by factors like gallstone blockage or excessive alcohol consumption. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a slow, progressive inflammation that may result from long-term alcohol abuse, obstructions in the pancreatic duct, or genetic factors.
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