Table 2. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and healthy controls.
| Healthy controls (n = 15) | Moderate chronicpancreatitis group (n = 34) | Severe chronic pancreatitis group (n = 26) | |
| Age (years) | 40±9* | 53±11 | 53±11 |
| Males - no. (%) | 8 (53) | 24 (71) | 12 (46) |
| Etiology - no. (%) | |||
| - Toxic-metabolic | 0 | 17 (50) | 13 (50) |
| - Idiopathic | 0 | 13 (38) | 8 (31) |
| - Genetic | 0 | 1 (3) | 1 4) |
| - Autoimmune | 0 | 0 | 1 (4) |
| - Recurrent and severe acute pancreatitis | 0 | 2 (6) | 1 (4) |
| - Obstructive | 0 | 1 (3) | 2 (8) |
| Diary pain score (numeric rating score 0–10) | |||
| - Average pain | 0 | 4±2 | 4±2 |
| - Maximal pain | 0 | 5±2 | 6±2 |
| Concomitant analgesics - no. (%)† | |||
| - None | 0 | 4 (12) | 1 (4) |
| - Weak analgesics | 0 | 7 (21) | 10 (39) |
| - Strong analgesics | 0 | 23 (68) | 15 (58) |
| MEQ/day | 0 | 112±132 | 72±71 |
| Antidepressants - no. (%) | 0 | 6 (18) | 6 (23) |
| Duration of chronic pancreatitis (months) | 0 | 113±85 | 100±75 |
| Diabetes mellitus - no. (%) | 0 | 4 (12) | 14 (54)* |
| Previous interventions for chronic pancreatitis – no. (%) | 0 | 2 (6) | 13 (50)* |
| - Pancreas resection/drainage procedures | 0 | 2 (6) | 8 (31)* |
| - Thoracoscopic splanchnic denervation | 0 | 1 (3) | 7 (27)* |
| - Coeliacus blocade | 0 | 0 | 2 (8)* |
| Patients treated with enzymes for pancreatic exocrineinsufficiency - no. (%) | 0 | 11 (32) | 17 (65) |
All values are means with standard deviations unless mentioned otherwise. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. †Weak analgesics were defined as NSAIDS, paracetamol, codeine and tramadol. Strong analgesics were defined as opioid based therapies. ‘MEQ’ is morphine equivalents. Values marked with an asterisk were significantly different from each other.