A national population-based study

OBJECTIVEdDiabetes may increase the risk of acute pancreatitis (AP). We aimed to further investigate whether diabetes may also adversely affect outcomes of patients with AP. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSdIn this retrospective cohort study, we com-pared 18,990 first-attack AP with diabetes to 37,980 matched control subjects from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2009. Primary outcomes were development of severe AP, defined by a modified Atlanta classification scheme, and hospital mortality. Analyses were performed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression model with generalized estimating equations accounting for hospital clustering effect. RESULTSdAfter baseline characteristics were adjusted, AP patients with diabetes had a higher risk of a severe attack than their nondiabetic counterparts (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95%CI 1.16–1.26). When severity criteria were analyzed individually, diabetic AP patients had a 58% higher risk of intensive care unit admission and a 30 % higher risk of local complications, but a 16 % lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, than AP patients without diabetes. The risk of organ failure at least one system) was similar between the two groups. Conversely, AP patients with diabetes were associated with a lower risk of hospital mortality (adjusted OR 0.77, 95 % C