Binge drinkers risk pancreatitis

Fatty acids released by alcohol cause pancreatitis say researchers

Binge drinkers are risking acute pancreatitis, scientists from the University of Liverpool have warned.

The Liverpool research points to fatty acids and other fatty substances generated in the pancreas by alcohol as a main cause of the disease.

Professor Ole Peterson, who led the team of researchers, said: "Our new work should contribute to campaigns against binge drinking."

Acute pancreatitis affects 20,000 people a year in the UK.

Alcohol consumption is recognised by the the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences as one of the disease's main causes but the precise link has not been clear.

'Calcium overloading'

The Liverpool team, led by Professor Petersen and Professor Robert Sutton from the University's Faculty of Medicine, found that the fatty acids released by alcohol produce calcium ions which can abolish all energy production in the pancreas.

"This dangerous overloading of calcium suggests it may be much more difficult than previously thought to find a therapy for alcohol-induced pancreatitis," said Professor Peterson.

"The higher the levels of alcohol in the blood, the higher the risk of pancreatitis."