The association between pancreas steatosis and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objectives Pancreas steatosis is the description of fat accumulation in the pancreatic gland. The prevalence and development mechanisms of pancreatic steatosis in patients with metabolic disorders still remain unclear. The aim of this study is to systematically review the association between pancreatic steatosis and metabolic co‐morbidities. Methods We performed a systematic search strategy using three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase) for relevant studies concerning the associations of pancreatic steatosis with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its clinical relevance from inception until 30 September 2018. Results One thousand three hundred fifty one references were identified in the initial search, and a total of 13 studies involving 49 329 subjects were included. This analyses elucidated the presence of non‐alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) and was associated with a significant increased risk of metabolic syndrome (RR = 2.25; 95% CI, 2.00‐2.53; P