Pancreatic fat and the risk of future dysglycemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
Pancreatic fat was associated with adverse future glycemic outcomes across multiple analytical contexts.
Study context
- Population
- Longitudinal observational studies assessing pancreatic fat at baseline and reporting incident T2D and/or glycemic progression; databases searched to March 1, 202610 studies
- Comparison
- Higher vs lower pancreatic fat burden
- Outcome
- Incident T2D (primary binary meta-analysis)
Methodological detailsNewcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment, exploratory narrative synthesis in lean populations
- Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment
- Exploratory narrative synthesis in lean populations
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Incident T2D, higher pancreatic fat burden (primary binary meta-analysis, 5 studies)
Pooled effect estimate
2.56
95% CI
1.27-5.14
I2
93.3%
Further pooled results
Incident T2D, excluding 1 influential US-based study
- Pooled effect estimate
- 1.45
- 95% CI
- 1.23-1.73
- I2
- 10.2%
- Heterogeneity attenuated, association preserved
Incident T2D, continuous analysis (3 studies)
- Effect estimate
- 1.17
- 95% CI
- 1.04-1.32
- I2
- 79.2%
- Exposure scales not directly comparable
Glycemic progression (2 studies)
- Effect estimate
- 1.96
- 95% CI
- 1.10-3.48
- I2
- 73.2%
Lean populations (2 analytical contexts, narrative synthesis)
- Directionally consistent with the overall findings
- Exploratory
Original publication
Pancreatic fat and the risk of future dysglycemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 8 June 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →