Mildly Elevated Lipase and Subsequent Risk of Acute Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer.

INTRODUCTION

Long-term risk of acute pancreatitis (AP) and pancreatic cancer (PC) with mildly elevated lipase (MEL) is not well established.

METHODS

Multicenter retrospective cohort study-"MEL" group had MEL without AP; "no MEL" group had abdominal pain but normal lipase, imaging, endoscopy, and labs. Primary outcomes were incidence of AP or PC in MEL vs no MEL after at least 10-year follow-up.

RESULTS

9,447 patients met inclusion criteria (5,851 MEL, 3,596 no MEL). Logistic regression identified MEL as an independent predictor of AP (2.8% vs 1.2%, odds ratio 2.6, P < 0.001) but not PC (0.4% vs 0.3%, odds ratio 0.7, P 0.38).

DISCUSSION: MEL was associated with increased long-term AP risk.