Smoking Increases the Risk for Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis, which is increasing in the U.S. and many other countries, is usually caused by alcohol or gallstones. Alcohol can cause an episode of acute pancreatitis but usually leads to chronic pancreatitis, typically after multiple acute episodes. Recent data from several countries have shown that smoking is an equally potent cause of chronic pancreatitis (JW Gastroenterol Aug 14 2009) and that the combination of alcohol and smoking is particularly toxic.

Now, investigators have explored the association between cigarette smoking and acute pancreatitis in a prospective, population-based cohort study involving 84,667 individuals in Sweden. Information on smoking history, including duration and frequency (calculated into pack-years) wa…