PANCREATITIS IN FINLAND BETWEEN 1970 AND 1989

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%).