Type 2 Diabetes as a Factor Modifying the Course and Prognosis of Acute Pancreatitis

Abstract

Objective: Acute pancreatitis (AP) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are diseases with steadily increasing incidence. On the one hand, the presence of diabetes increases the risk of AP development; on the other hand, there is a question whether the presence of T2D adversely affects the course and prognosis of AP. In this study we attempted to demonstrate the adverse effect of T2D on the course and prognosis of AP. Materials and methods: The retrospective study analyzed the data of 333 patients with the diagnosis of AP in the Internal Medicine Department of the University Hospital in Opole between 2015 and 2019. The patients were divided into two groups: with T2D and without T2D. The comparative analysis included data from physical examination, selected laboratory parameters, presence of concomitant diseases, abdominal computed tomography (CT) image and others. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare differences between the two groups of patients. All hypotheses were verified at a significance level of 5%. The normality of the distribution of parameters (variables) was tested with the nonparametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: It has been proven that patients with AP and T2D have a more pronounced inflammatory reaction, are more likely to have cardiovascular diseases, have worse renal function and are significantly more likely to have an image of necrotic AP on CT. The duration of hospitalization of these patients is prolonged by 3 days. Conclusions: T2D significantly worsens the course of AP and should be considered as an adverse prognostic factor.