Is it really a life threatening case? One of my friend died because of this without any symptoms of whatsoever, its just one day he didnt wake up..The family requested for an autopsy and they found out it was a pancreatitis. Its scary coz I think his father and uncle died because of this,is it hereditary?

to date, alcohol abuse is the largest percentage of sufferers (over 85 %),next is gall stones, hereditary, idiopathic (unknown) metabolic, toxic, injury. it can be life threatening when an attack causes the pancreatic juices to eat into the main splenic artery-and the person bleeds to death within the abdominal cavity.for your friend to pass away from this-its soo soo rare to die of complications, especially without even knowing he had it.sorry for your loss

1-Excess alcohol intake
2-Gallstones
3Genetic abnormalities can cause a hereditary type of pancreatitis
4-abdominal injury or surgery

Google: mayo clinic >>diseases & conditions >>pancreatitis

I'm sorry for your loss.