A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF DIETARY, ALCOHOL, AND TOBACCO HABITS IN ALCOHOLIC MEN WITH CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

This study compared diet, type of alcoholism, and smoking in three gro ups of alcoholic men, with chronic pancreatitis (n = 56), with histolo gical cirrhosis (n = 50), and without pancreatitis or cirrhosis (contr ols; n = 50) by a multidimensional analysis. Only patients in whom the first symptom of pancreatitis or cirrhosis was present for <1 year be fore the interview were included. Patients with pancreatitis consumed more nonalcohol calories than cirrhotics (p < 0.05). The percentage of calories taken as proteins (p < 0.0003) and lipids (p < 0.0001) was h igher and the percentage of calories taken as alcohol (p < 0.0003) was lower in patients with pancreatitis than in cirrhotics and control pa tients. There was no difference among the three groups for total calor ies/basal energy expenditure ratio, total nonalcohol calories/basal en ergy expenditure ratio, mineral and vitamin intake, or tobacco consump tion. The duration of excessive alcohol consumption and the total alco hol consumption in patients with pancreatitis was similar to that of c ontrols but lower than that of cirrhotics (p < 0.002 and p < 0.05, res pectively). Three parameters were found to be independently different in the three groups by discriminant analysis: percentage of calories t aken as lipids (p < 0.0001), duration of excessive alcohol consumption (p < 0.002), and percentage of calories taken as proteins (p < 0.08). These three parameters explained 24% of the variance. We conclude tha t the reasons alcoholic men develop chronic pancreatitis may be explai ned partly by dietary habits. The main predisposing or associated fact or is a high caloric proportion of fat and protein intake. Type and qu antity of alcohol, tobacco, and vitamins do not seem to play an import ant role.