AbstractA total of 117 patients with pancreatitis were studied during the acute attack and after remission, and 32.5% were found to have hyperlipidemia, nearly all of type IV. There did not seem to be a relationship between hyperlipidemia and alcohol intake, although nearly 80% of the patients were alcoholics. No defect in triglyceride turnover could be demonstrated by intravenous fat tolerance tests or postheparin lipolytic activity measurements. No correlation was found between hyperlipidemia and steatosis of the liver or diabetes.It is suggested that the increase in serum triglyceride levels might be due to an increased synthesis or mobilization. It is also suggested that the hypertriglyceridemia does not directly induce an attack of pancreatitis, but might predispose a patient to develop pancreatitis when other provoking factors are also present.