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The following is a summary of “Impact of Elevated Serum Triglycerides on Children with Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis from INSPPIRE-2,” published in the September 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Sellers et al.

This study aimed to evaluate whether mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic pancreatitis or related complications in children with acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis. Researchers analyzed longitudinal data from the INSPPIRE-2 (INternational Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cuRE-2) cohort, which included 559 children diagnosed with acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis. Participants were categorized based on their highest serum triglyceride levels into five groups: normal triglycerides (<150 mg/dL), hypertriglyceridemia (≥150 mg/dL), mild-moderate hypertriglyceridemia (150-499 mg/dL), moderate hypertriglyceridemia (500-999 mg/dL), and severe hypertriglyceridemia (≥1,000 mg/dL). 

Comprehensive analyses of laboratory results, imaging findings, pancreatitis-related events, complications, and quality-of-life measures were conducted. The results indicated that while there was no significant increase in the frequency of pancreatitis attacks or the prevalence of chronic pancreatitis among children with hypertriglyceridemia, the severity of hypertriglyceridemia was significantly associated with heightened pancreatic inflammation, development of pancreatic cysts, increased pain, longer hospital stays, higher hospitalization rates, more frequent intensive care admissions, and greater school absenteeism. These findings suggest that while mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia does not exacerbate the frequency of pancreatitis episodes or the onset of chronic pancreatitis, it is linked to an elevated burden of pancreatitis-related complications and overall disease severity. 

Given that hypertriglyceridemia is a potentially treatable condition, addressing it may help mitigate some of the complications and reduce the overall medical burden in children with acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347624004013