Yes, Diabetes can be a spinoff of pancreatitis. An old friend of my mom has diabetes which the doctors strongly believe to be caused by chronic pancreatitis (though she had acute-like attacks. She had about 5 or 6 severe attacks in her life, severe as in needed hostpitalization or close. SHe was in her fifties when I last visited her years ago, but her first pancreatitis attack she had in her 20's, so she'd had it for a very long time.)
I was told today that since your body only uses about 3% of the pancrea, the damage high levels can cause can be afforded unless it's a chronic, repeated, long term situation. Then the pancrease runs out of living tissue, which if i'm understanding correctly, can lead to diabetes. Not exactly sure but i know diabetes can be a spin off of pancreatitis
My lipase levels were in the 25,000 to 35,000 range over a four month period -- thus far no one has told me that there are long-term ramifications from this occurring. I am seeing a specialist at Johns Hopkins next week -- I'll let you know if I find out anything else to the contrary.