Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Could Predict Diabetes
September 7th, 2006 | Published in RSI in the News | 2 Comments | Tags: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
According to a report in the medical journal Diabetes Care, researchers in England have concluded that “Carpal Tunnel May Be Sign Of Impending Diabetes“. In their study, they found that in more cases than would normally be expected, people who develop type 2 diabetes have a history of carpal tunnel syndrome. The wrist nerve problem sometimes predates the onset of diabetes by up to 10 years.
The medical world has long known that those with diabetes are more likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome, but this is the first study to suggest that carpal tunnel syndrome may actually be an early warning sign of diabetes.
In discussing their study, the researchers suggest that high blood sugar levels “and associated metabolic abnormalities may contribute to causing these important focal peripheral nerve disorders before the diagnosis of diabetes.”
September 8th, 2006 at 3:08 am (#)
I guess this ties in with the current thinking that certain people are predisposed to carpal tunnel and work makes the condition worse rather than actually causing it, as is the case with other repetitive strain injuries. Either way, it’s bad news for CTS sufferers: they’re in pain now and they’re maybe going to get diabetes later - great.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:04 am (#)
I have posted a comment to this article on my Blog at http://www.drdavis.typepad.com.