Background: Obesity plays an important role in increasing the risks of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and death. Controversy persists concerning the degrees to which obesity influences mortality and morbidity in severe acute pancreatitis.
Materials and methods: Between 2008 and 2012, the findings of 384 consecutive acute pancreatitis patients were analyzed in a prospective trial. Ranson's scores, Acute Physiology And Chronic Evaluation II scores, and computed tomography severity indexes were calculated. Patients were categorized by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference for the analysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of obesity on local and systemic complications as well as on mortality in severe acute pancreatitis patients.
Results: Severe acute pancreatitis was confirmed in 91 (23.7 %) patients. Local and systemic complications were recorded in 64 (16.7 %) and 51 (13.3 %) patients, respectively. Obesity calculated by BMI was identified as a significant risk factor for local and systemic complications (p < 0.02 and p < 0.03, respectively). Moreover, in this study, obesity was also categorized by waist circumference and was confirmed as a risk factor (p < 0.01). The overall mortality rate was 2.4 %, i.e., nine patients died. This study indicates that obesity can have a statistically significant influence on the mortality of severe acute pancreatitis patients.
Conclusions: The presence of obesity has a negative impact on the survival rate of severe acute pancreatitis patients. Obese patients have higher incidence of local and systemic complications. Obesity seems to be a negative prognostic factor in severe acute pancreatitis patients.