PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions

Cigarette smoking could increase prevalence of carotid arterial plaque in obese male healthy collegiate students

Obesity is a known risk factor for several diseases and also negatively affects physical functioning. It is identified that obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, only few studies have investigated the association of different anthropometric measures with carotid plaque. We in this study aimed to investigate, compare and find the correlation between four measures in normal and obese adults: Anthropometric, Blood Analysis, Smoking habit and presence of Carotid Arterial Plaque. We included 44 healthy young collegiate students aged 20-25 years and were divided into two based on their body mass index: normal weight (n=15) and obese (n=29). Anthropometric measurements such as body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist / hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral fat area (VFA) and from the collected venous blood, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and glucose were measured. Presence of carotid arterial plaque [CAP] was identified by ultrasonography. Plaque presence was defined as e”1 plaque in any of the carotid arteries. Data were analyzed using independent t-test. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to find the correlations between the measured parameters. After adjustment for age and sex between the groups, there was strong evidence of significant difference between groups for anthropometric measures [Weight, BMI, WHR, BFP and VFA] and also for serum HDL, LDL and triglycerides levels (p 0.05). CAP was found in 69% of obese subjects and a strong correlation was found between smoking and presence of carotid plaque. A smoker is 1.84 times subjected to plaque occurrence than non-smoker among obese participants. In this study we found high prevalence of CAP among the obese adults. Occurrence of CAP was significantly increased among the smokers’ ones. Thus, evaluation of obese patients with this anthropometric, lipid profile and cigarette smoking could help the individuals to identify the risk of higher residual cardiovascular incidence. © 201