Could Acute Pancreatitis in Youth Be Predictor of Diabetes?

TOPLINE:

The development of prediabetes or diabetes after a single episode of acute pancreatitis in youths can be predicted by the baseline severity of pancreatitis, levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and subcutaneous fat area.

METHODOLOGY:

• Acute recurrent pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis are known risk factors for prediabetes or diabetes among youths.
• Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study to identify clinical, laboratory, and imaging predictors of prediabetes and diabetes in 187 patients aged 21 years or younger who were enrolled at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, with a first-time episode of acute pancreatitis.
• Blood samples were collected within 48 hours of admission; plasma levels of chemokines and cytokines along with other clinical and laboratory parameters were measured.
• Overall, 73% and 77% of participants underwent diabetes screening at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Imaging results within 90 days of the initial acute pancreatitis episode also were available and reviewed for 73% of the participants.

TAKEAWAY:

• At 3 months, prediabetes occurred in 15.3% and diabetes occurred in 0.7% of screened patients. At 12 months, prediabetes occurred in 12.5% and diabetes occurred in 3.5% of screened patients.
• At 12 months, both the severity of acute pancreatitis (P = .0008) and baseline IL-6 levels (P = .004) were significantly associated with the development of prediabetes or diabetes.
• The optimal multivariable model for predicting prediabetes or diabetes included the severity of acute pancreatitis, CRP and IL-6 levels, and subcutaneous fat area, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our predictive model may have a role during the index [acute pancreatitis] attack, which is when the initial insult that leads to the development of [prediabetes mellitus/diabetes mellitus] is thought to occur. Application of our model may help with planning follow-up and future testing of specific patients who are at higher risk of developing [prediabetes mellitus/diabetes mellitus],” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Gila Ginzburg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Children’s Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was published online in Digestive and Liver Disease.

LIMITATIONS:

The study’s limitations included its single-center design. Additionally, the small sample size may have limited the understanding of some variables’ contributions, particularly the psoas muscle area z-score and standardized subcutaneous fat area.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. One author reported serving as a consultant for GE HealthCare and receiving research support from several pharmaceutical companies outside of this study.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.