Case-control study on individual risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome

This study was conducted to observe the characteristics of the risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in Chinese population. CTS of 1,512 outpatients aged 41–70 years were without any other diseases which could cause numbness as a case group, and 4,536 non-CTS outpatients as a control group were involved in the study in 2013–2014. Both groups received a questionnaire and the case group received another electrical physiological examination. The results showed the odds ratio (OR) of age is 0.990 (95% CI, 0.984–0.996). The OR of BMI is 1.096 (95% CI, 1.077–1.115). The OR of smoking is 4.862 (95% CI, 3.991–5.925). The OR of wrist injury is 1.313 (95% CI, 1.019–1.691). The OR of diabetes mellitus is 1.837 (95% CI, 1.557–2.168). The OR of hypertension is 0.805 (95% CI, 0.688–0.942). The OR of hypothyroidism is 1.385 (95% CI, 1.119–1.715). The OR of rheumatic disease is 4.450 (95% CI, 3.712–5.215). The results showed that sex, age, smoking, wrist injury, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism and wrist working are all risk factors of CTS. Hypertension could be a protection factor of CTS in early phase but will increase the risk in a long-term high blood pressure. Smoking, alcohol and diabetes mellitus can be predictors of moderate and severe CTS.