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A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Atlanta (GA): A.D.A.M.; 2011.

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

Enzyme

Last reviewed: February 20, 2011.

Enzymes are complex proteins that cause a specific chemical change in all parts of the body. For example, they can help break down the foods we eat so the body can use them. Blood clotting is another example of enzymes at work.

Enzymes are needed for all bodily functions. They are found in the mouth (saliva), stomach (gastric juice), intestinal fluids, blood, and every other organ and cell in the body.

Review Date: 2/20/2011.

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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  • Pancreatic enzymes for chronic pancreatitis Pancreatic enzymes for chronic pancreatitis
    Chronic pancreatitis is a condition afflicting nearly 0.04% to 5% of the population worldwide. The disease presents as recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, fatty stools and weight loss, or may be asymptomatic. Patients may develop complications over a variable period of time. Medical treatment often involves prescription of pancreatic enzyme preparations for these patients. This practice is based on studies which have shown the benefit of pancreatic enzymes on various outcomes such as abdominal pain, weight loss, analgesic use, fatty stools and quality of life. However, a collective conclusion about the role of pancreatic enzymes in chronic pancreatitis patients needs to be established from these studies. This systematic review aimed to collect all published and unpublished data on this subject in order to evaluate whether pancreatic enzymes have any benefit on various parameters in chronic pancreatitis, to compare different types of enzyme preparations and to evaluate whether different dosage schedules have any influence on the various outcomes. We included 10 studies in the review. These studies had enrolled small numbers of patients. Though individual studies showed benefit of varying degrees on the parameters mentioned above, we could not pool the results of these studies. With the evidence available so far, no definitive conclusion can be drawn for the benefit of pancreatic enzymes in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
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