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Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) can be found in a plethora of patients, including those with chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis as well as those who have undergone roux-en-Y gastric bypass or pancreatic surgery with loss of functional pancreatic parenchyma. The standard treatment for EPI is pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).
Investigators have now conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the effect of PERT on weight gain and nutritional status in 164 EPI patients who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy. Patients received 40,000 units of lipase or placebo for three meals a day for 3 months.
Mean weight gain (the primary endpoint) was improved with PERT versus placebo (1.09 …