When Can Pancreatitis Cause Diabetes?

Question: Hi, I'm Mike from Austin, Texas and I was wondering when can pancreatitis cause diabetes?

Answer: Mike, there is come concern about the linkage of pancreatitis and diabetes. The pancreas, of course, is the organ where the beta cells are and those are the cells that produce insulin.

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Pancreatitis is a disease where there's inflammation in the pancreas and with the inflammation of the pancreas, some people have injury to the pancreas. With enough of that they can lose the production of insulin. Usually it takes a number of episodes of pancreatitis. Some people suggest you have to lose 90 percent of your pancreas before you get to the point where it stops making insulin.

So certainly anyone who has ever had an episode of pancreatitis does need to be vigilant and their doctor should certainly monitor them periodically to make sure their blood sugar is appropriate.