Risk factors for pancreatitis in older women: the Iowa Women's Health Study.

Purpose: Pancreatitis-an inflammation of pancreas-is a severe and costly disease. Although many risk factors for pancreatitis are known, many pancreatitis cases, especially in elderly women, are of unknown etiology.

Methods: Risk factors for acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) were assessed in a prospective cohort (n = 36,436 women, aged ≥ 65 years).