ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic pancreatitis results in irreversible pancreatic dysfunction and malnutrition which, alongside excess alcohol intake, can increase the risk of low bone density. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures and chronic bone pain, reduces quality of life, and poses considerable costs to healthcare. Despite this, there remains a paucity of literature evaluating bone health in this patient population. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prevalences of osteopaenia, osteoporosis and fractures in patients with chronic pancreatitis. METHODS: A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and CENTRAL databases was undertaken to identify eligible studies from January 2000 to May 2022. The prevalences of osteopenia, osteoporosis and fragility fractures were extracted from the included studies. Where available, a subgroup analysis was performed to compare the likelihood of developing osteoporosis in patients with chronic pancreatitis compared with control. RESULTS: Nineteen studies reporting on 2,027,764 participants (20,460 with chronic pancreatitis and 2,007,304 controls) were included. The pooled prevalence of osteoporosis was 19% (95% CI 13 to 26%; I2 = 94%). Patients with chronic pancreatitis were more likely to have osteoporosis when compared with those in the control group (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.86 to 4.21; I2 = 21%). The prevalences of osteopaenia and fractures in patients with chronic pancreatitis were 37% (95% CI 31 to 44%; I2 = 81%) and 14% (95% CI 7 to 22%; I2 = 99%) respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalences of osteopenia and osteoporosis are significant in patients with chronic pancreatitis and can increase the risk of developing fractures. Further population-based studies are required to evaluate the disease burden of osteoporotic fractures and associated morbidity and mortality in chronic pancreatitis.