The risk for pancreatic endocrine dysfunction, pancreatogenic diabetes and mortality increases significantly if the patient has recurrent episodes of AAP. The risk of developing pancreatic dysfunction after AAP should be recognized and pancreatic function should be screened routinely during the years after the first episode of AAP.

Regardless of the mediator mechanisms of acute alcoholic pancreatitis, abstinence after the first episode protects against recurrent attacks. Pancreatic dysfunction is also rare among abstinent patients.

LCC can effectively prevent the recurrence of IAP when all other possible etiologies of pancreatitis are carefully excluded. A total of 5 patients needed to be treated (NNT-value) to prevent 1 IAP.

In the investigated Finnish pedigree with HP, the PRSS1 mutation R122H is linked with chronic disease. Although the SPINK1 mutation (N34S) was also observed in two individuals, it was not linked with the disease.