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Several factors contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome

Tampere University
LocationArvo Ylpön katu 34 Tampere Arvo building, auditorium F025
21.2.2020 10.00–14.00
LanguageEnglish
Entrance feeFree of charge
Tohtori
The lifetime prevalence of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is over 3.1% and annual incidence is 1.7 per 1000 person-years. Female sex, a low level of education, ages 40-49, obesity, overweight, and diabetes mellitus are important risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome. Over 2% of men and 4% of women living in Finland experience surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in their lifetime.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy of median nerve in the hand/wrist. Several factors are playing a role in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) development. The effect of work-related factors such as repetitive movement of hand/wrist on CTS are known. However, the role of individual factors such as diabetes, obesity, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis in CTS are not well-known. There is strong evidence that CTS is more likely to occur in women than in men and in people aged 40 years and older.

Mohammadhossein Pourmemari found that diabetes (patient with type I and type II diabetes), obesity and overweight were the cause of CTS or surgery for CTS. In Finland, the surgical treatment for CTS is a commonly performed surgical procedure for mitigating of CTS symptoms. Moreover, Pourmemari detected that other risk factors including ages 40-49, female sex, a low level of education, obesity, and hand osteoarthritis increase the risk of surgery for CTS.

Diabetes and obesity are multifactorial medical conditions that are associated with several health concerns as well as CTS. So if we encourage the people to change their daily diet to low in fat and eat the foods with low sugar along with performing leisure-time physical exercise may be a key to primary prevention of obesity. With the prevention of the growing prevalence of obesity in society we can also decrease the speed of diabetes occurrence, especially type II diabetes.  On the other hand, few investigators examined the role of changes in diet and physical exercises in condition. Further epidemiological studies should explore whether a healthy diet and physical exercise modify the effect of obesity and diabetes on CTS.

Mohammadhossein Pourmemari’s doctoral dissertation of PhD in the field of epidemiology titled Risk Factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University at time on 21.02.2020 in the auditorium F025 of Arvo building, Arvo Ylpön katu 34 Tampere. The Opponent will be Adjunct professor Isam Atroshi, Lund University. The Custos will be Professor Anssi Auvinen, Tampere University.

The dissertation is available online at the permanent web address of the dissertation provided by the Library.