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Updated: May 17, 2026
03:07
Development and Validation of a Methodology for Establishing Obese Rat Models with Typical Fatty Pancreas
Published on: November 11, 2025
Meta-Analysis Obesity Correlates with Severity and Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis: An Updated Meta-Analysis
Max Ole Hubert1, Mahmood Ahmad1, Alexander Crispin2
1Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Digestive Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 15, 2026
Summary
Obesity and overweight significantly increase the risk of severe acute pancreatitis and mortality. This comprehensive analysis confirms these links but did not identify specific obesity characteristics driving severity.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute pancreatitis (AP) incidence is rising globally.
- Overweight and obesity are linked to severe AP and mortality, but mechanisms remain unclear.
- Previous meta-analyses may not have included all available patient data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reassess the association between obesity and AP severity/mortality.
- To explore how obesity characteristics influence AP pathophysiology.
- To provide an updated, comprehensive synthesis of current evidence.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search up to April 2025.
- Inclusion of adult AP patients with BMI-defined overweight/obesity.
- Meta-analysis using random-effects models for odds ratios (OR) and mean differences (MD).
Main Results:
- 28 studies (18,062 patients) analyzed; 50% new data.
- Higher mean BMI in severe AP (MD = 1.77 kg/m²).
- Overweight (BMI ≥ 25) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) linked to increased severe AP risk and mortality.
- Significant ORs for severe disease and mortality in overweight/obese patients.
Conclusions:
- This is the largest synthesis on obesity's impact on AP outcomes.
- Obesity is confirmed as a significant risk factor for severe AP and mortality.
- High heterogeneity prevented identification of specific obesity drivers for severity.
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