Comprehensive Assessment of Direct and Passive Smoking Across the Pancreatitis Spectrum

Smoking is a key risk factor for pancreatitis, contributing to pathogenesis and disease progression. Data regarding second-hand smoking, or passive smoking (PS) exposure, are lacking. We therefore aimed to assess the impact of PS exposure across the pancreatitis spectrum.

We analyzed baseline data from the PROCEED study, a multicenter study in the United States including patients with acute (AP), recurrent acute (RAP), and chronic (CP) pancreatitis. Participants detailed their individual smoking history and PS exposure, which was compared between AP, RAP, and CP subgroups. Participant factors and clinical characteristics were compared by level of individual and PS exposure.

Among 1369 participants (190 AP, 498 RAP, 681 CP), 346 (25.3%) were current and 409 (29.9%) were former smokers. The CP subgroup had the highest proportion of current smokers (36.7% CP vs 15.1% RAP, 11.1% AP, P < 0.001). PS exposure was also significantly higher in the CP subgroup (68.6% CP vs 58.2% RAP, 55.3% AP, P < 0.001). A minority (16.3%) with CP reported no smoking exposure (by self or passive) while nearly half smoked ≥20 pack-years. The mean PS duration was significantly higher in CP participants (21.8 y) compared with those with AP (17.8 y) or RAP (18.9 y) ( P < 0.0166).

In this multicenter study, we affirmed an association with smoking use and intensity with CP-related complications. For the first time, we report a high prevalence of prior exposure to passive smoking in all pancreatitis subtypes, which requires further study to understand the impact on disease outcomes.