Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Predict Diabetes?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may predict Diabetes, or so suggests research conducted by Martin Gulliford, FRCP, of King's College in London. Gulliford's study, Increased Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome up to 10 Years Before Diagnosis of Diabetes, published by Diabetes Care highlights some interesting findings.

The study looked at 2600 pre-diabetic patients who went on to develop diabetes. 36% of the pre-diabetic patients developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome up to a decade before developing diabetes.

With the link between Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and diabetes well established, and the increased risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if you suffer from Diabetic Neuropathy, this research suggests that:

• the metabolic issues and other risk factors associated with developing diabetes heighten the risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
  
• the path that leads you towards diabetes has multiple warning signs that start appearing years in advance.

References: 1. Gulliford, Martin C. FRCP, Latinovic, Radoslav BSC, Charlton, Judith MSC and Hughes, Richard A.C. FRCP. Increased Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome up to 10 Years Before Diagnosis of Diabetes. 2006.