The incidence and mortality from pancreatitis in Finland between 1970
and 1989 were studied and compared with the alcohol consumption in the
country and with the incidence of liver cirrhosis and gall stone dise
ase. Hospital discharge data were obtained from the Finnish National A
gency for Welfare and Health, the causes of deaths from the Finnish St
ate Statistics, and annual alcohol consumption from the Finnish State
Alcohol Company. There were 56 353 hospital treatment periods because
of pancreatitis. The incidence of pancreatitis discharges increased fr
om 46.6 to 73.4/100000/year. In men it increased from 59.1 to 113.4, b
ut in women it remained unchanged (mean 35-0). The incidence of pancre
atitis discharges correlated with the alcohol consumption in Finland (
r=0.78, p=0.0001). The incidence of pancreatitis discharges correlated
in men, but not in women, with the incidence of liver cirrhosis (r=0.
81, p=0.0001). In women, but not in men, the incidence of pancreatitis
discharges correlated with the incidence of gall stone disease discha
rges (r=0.77, p=0.0001). The incidence of discharges due to haemorrhag
ic pancreatitis and pancreatic abscess doubled in men and remained unc
hanged in women. Pancreatitis death rate decreased from 5-9% (men 4.8%
, women 7.0%) to 2.6% (men 2.4%, women 2.7%).