Who is more likely to develop pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is a disease that consists of inflammation of the pancreas, which is a gland whose mission is to produce insulin and digestive juices, or enzymes, which help digest food.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
14 April 2023 Friday 22:30
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Who is more likely to develop pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is a disease that consists of inflammation of the pancreas, which is a gland whose mission is to produce insulin and digestive juices, or enzymes, which help digest food. The pancreas is located behind the stomach, near the beginning of the small intestine (called the duodenum). Pancreatitis, which can be acute or chronic, occurs when enzymes damage the pancreas, causing inflammation.

Acute pancreatitis is characterized by sudden onset and usually short-lived with proper treatment. Only a minority of patients require a longer hospitalization. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a long-term disease in which the pancreas often worsens over time.

Some groups are more prone to having pancreatitis. For example, it is more common in men than women and is more likely to develop in people who have a family history of the disease or gallstones. There is also an increased risk of developing this disease in people with certain genetic alterations in the pancreas. And, curiously, in the United States, a higher frequency has been observed among the African-American population.

Having had an autoimmune disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or having high triglyceride levels also increase the risk of pancreatitis. Other risk factors are obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Some medications, infections or injuries can also cause it, although to a lesser extent.

Although most pancreatitis is caused by excessive alcohol consumption or episodes of gallstones, about 15 percent of acute pancreatitis cases have no identified cause.

The symptoms of pancreatitis are very varied and differ in each case.

Acute pancreatitis can cause dehydration, bleeding, and infection, and when repeated frequently, it can lead to chronic pancreatitis. This is characterized by chronic pain in the abdomen, continuous digestion problems, wrong absorption of food and bone problems. And it can cause other diseases such as diabetes or pancreatic cancer.