Pancreatitis
How Obesity Increases the Risk of Pancreatitis
There are four types of pancreatitis: acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic abscess and pancreatic pseudocyst. (1) The pancreas is a gland which is located behind the stomach and is responsible for releasing the hormones insulin and glucagon into the body. (2) Insulin is a hormone that is chiefly involved in the regulation of blood-sugar levels (triglycerides) and cholesterol (both LDL and HDL). (3) If there is any imbalance in the insulin levels, then it can lead to serious problems and is part of the metabolic syndrome. (4) Glucagon is produced when the blood sugar level needs to be raised. (5)
Obesity and acute pancreatitis
Obesity has been clearly established as a risk factor for acute pancreatitis. (6) Being obese or even overweight has been associated with a much worse prognosis for this condition and the reason has been identified as having to do with the fact that most people who are obese are centrally obese, which makes the entire area around the inflamed pancreas susceptible to further complications. One of the major issues with obesity is that the obese patient will gain an excessive amount of body-fat. Body-fat, or adipose tissue, is an organ that releases large amounts of adipokines, cytokines and leptin, which are hormones that regulate appetite and even pain. An interesting study was conducted on obese mice and it was found that the harmful effects of pancreatitis can be lessened if there is a healthy introduction of fish-oil containing omega-3 fatty acids, because this fatty acid lessens the effects of adipokines’ harmful interaction with the pancreas. (7) While an older study disagrees that obesity is a significant prognostic factor in acute pancreatitis, (8) the most recent meta-analysis from 2008 does confirm that both adipocytokine and cytokine levels contribute to the development of pancreatic tumors and are also related to obesity. (9)
Obesity and other forms of pancreatic disorders
Chronic pancreatitis can be complicated by blockage of the small intestine or bile ducts, blood clotting in the vein of the spleen, fluid collections in the pancreas that can become infected, diabetes, fat or other nutrient malabsorption and vitamin malabsorption (vitamins A, D, E, or K, which are all fat-soluble). (10) All of these conditions that can complicate chronic pancreatitis are related to obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Pancreatic abscesses develop usually in patients that have had some form of pancreatitis and therefore they are also related to obesity. (11) Likewise, since it is possible for pancreatic disorders to be caused by gallstones, a pancreatic pseudocyst can form in patients who have had a problem or a history of pancreatitis. (12) If this is related to diet then the gallbladder must be removed (cholecystectomy) and if it is related to alcohol abuse then alcohol consumption must be stopped immediately. (13)
Obesity and adipose tissue
Obesity is one of the more visible symptoms of a larger metabolic disorder that can affect patients severely. Especially with central obesity (above the waistline for men, below the waistline for women) excess body-fat around this area can cause serious complications in a number of organs such as the pancreas, gall bladder, liver, stomach, intestines and even the cardiovascular system. (14) Obesity is caused by a variety of factors, but the main ones are consumption of food that is above normal calorie levels for your body-height and body-weight or consumption of excessive amounts of the wrong foods. Any imbalance in a diet can throw the metabolism out of balance, causing metabolic disorder and obesity. For example, a diet high in sugar (in all its forms, including carbohydrates) can lead to excessive amounts of sugar (triglycerides) in the bloodstream. (15) This sugar is stored as body-fat. Body-fat, or adipose tissue, is an organ that releases several hormones into the body to regulate appetite and even pain. When there are too many of these hormones in the bloodstream, the body can become desensitized to their effects, leading to a vicious cycle of overeating because of inadequate appetite-suppression. Furthermore, the pancreas and the liver are also elemental in creating insulin to regulate blood-sugar. (16) If there is too much blood-sugar in the body, then the insulin creation goes out of control and the body can also become immune to its effects, which is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus. (17) Cholesterol is also formed by the liver, along with triglycerides, glucagon and eventually body-fat. (18) There are two types of cholesterol and imbalances in either of them can cause serious issues that are related to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Imbalances in LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), can cause serious issues that lead to diabetes and heart disease. Likewise, imbalances in HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) can also lead to the same conditions, because the insulin that the pancreas creates cannot regulate them efficiently enough. Because the pancreas and the insulin it creates is instrumental in maintaining cholesterol, blood-sugar and a variety of other hormones, any damage to the pancreas through pancreatitis and similar disorders can seriously inhibit the functioning of the body. A pancreas is necessary for survival and it cannot be removed; transplanting a pancreas is a complicated procedure that involves leaving the original one still intact while attaching the new one to another location and then testing to see if the body will reject it or not. (19) The pancreas must be transplanted in this manner, because it is necessary for digestion and for basic vitality. There is a high mortality rate in many diseases to do with the pancreas.
A healthy diet to fight pancreatitis and obesity
As indicated by the study on obese mice, a healthy diet should contain not only a variety of the main sources of nutrition (protein, fat, carbohydrates), but should also be rich in vitamins, minerals and special fatty acids as well as other micronutrients. A well-functioning pancreas that is a healthy part of the gastrointestinal tract is necessary for human life. It is imperative that people who are obese work on losing the excess weight as fast as possible by altering their diets and introducing regular exercise to their routines, for long-term health and prosperity.
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(1) Pancreatitis, National Center for Biotechnology Information, January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002129/
(2) Pancreas, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas
(3) Insulin, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin
(4) Metabolic syndrome, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome
(5) Glucagon, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucagon
(6) Acute pancreatitis, National Center for Biotechnology Information, January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001332/
(7) Acute Pancreatitis in Obesity: Adipokines and Dietary Fish Oil. Al-Azzawi HH, Wade TE, Swartz-Basile DA, Wang S, Pitt HA, Zyromski NJ. Dig Dis Sci. 2011 Feb 24. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21347559
(8) Obesity, Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer, Andrew A. Gumbs, OBESITY SURGERY, Volume 18, Number 9, 1183-1187, DOI: 10.1007/s11695-008-9599-3. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.springerlink.com/content/j4v5622027227348/
(9) Is obesity a risk factor in acute pancreatitis? A meta-analysis. Martínez J, Sánchez-Payá J, Palazón JM, Suazo-Barahona J, Robles-Díaz G, Pérez-Mateo M. Pancreatology. 2004;4(1):42-8. Epub 2004 Feb 24. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14988657
(10) Chronic pancreatitis, National Center for Biotechnology Information, January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001268/
(11) Pancreatic abscess, National Center for Biotechnology Information, January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001316/
(12) Pancreatic pseudocyst, National Center for Biotechnology Information, January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001317/
(13) ibid.
(14) Metabolic syndrome, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome
(15) High Triglycerides - Overview, WebMD. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/tc/high-triglycerides-overview
(16) Insulin, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin
(17) Diabetes mellitus, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus
(18) Cholesterol, Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol
(19) Pancreas transplant, Mayo Clinic. Retrieved July 19th, 2011, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreas-transplant/MY00762