Year 2025 / Volume 117 / Number 7
Original
Visceral adiposity index as a key predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis - A large-scale retrospective cohort study

374-381

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2025.10864/2024

Tingting Wang, Fei Cao, Jiajun He, Lei Zhu, Xiaoxi Yang, Shuli Ma, Quping Zhu, Yuanhao Li, Chuting Yang, Jun Liu, Chaowu Chen, Chen Weiwei,

Abstract
Background and aims: visceral adipose tissue has been closely connected with the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a mathematical model that consists of waist circumference, body mass index, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which has been demonstrated to be a better indicator of visceral fat than other traditional indices. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between VAI and the severity of AP. Methods: a retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 1,174 patients diagnosed with AP. These patients were categorized into two groups based on their VAI values: normal VAI (NVAI) group and elevated VAI (EVAI) group. Results: the EVAI group patients were much younger, mainly male, and had a higher incidence of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) compared with the NVAI group (p < 0.001). The EVAI group had a higher incidence of persistent respiratory failure, acute peripancreatic fluid collection (APFC) and acute necrotic collection (ANC). The VAI level and the percentage of EVAI showed an increasing trend with the severity of AP (p < 0.001). EVAI was the most independent risk factor for persistent respiratory failure (OR = 6.405, 95 % CI: 2.317-17.705), APFC (OR = 2.093, 95 % CI: 1.255-3.578) and ANC (OR = 4.910, 95 % CI: 1.736-13.887). Conclusions: EVAI was strongly related to the severity of AP. It was the most independent risk factor of persistent respiratory failure, APFC and ANC.
Lay Summary
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a complex inflammatory disorder of the pancreas that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have indicated that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is closely connected with the severity of AP. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a mathematical model that consists of body mass index, waist circumference, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which has been demonstrated to be a better indicator of visceral fat than other traditional indices. Our study demonstrated that elevated VAI was strongly related to the severity of AP.
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Wang T, Cao F, He J, Zhu L, Yang X, Ma S, et all. Visceral adiposity index as a key predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis - A large-scale retrospective cohort study. 10864/2024


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Publication history

Received: 12/10/2024

Accepted: 06/02/2025

Online First: 19/02/2025

Published: 08/07/2025

Article revision time: 112 days

Article Online First time: 130 days

Article editing time: 269 days


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