Smoking as risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome: A birth cohort study

• Published in: Muscle & nerve 2019-09, Vol.60 (3), p.299-304
• Main Authors: Hulkkonen, Sina, Auvinen, Juha, Miettunen, Jouko, Karppinen, Jaro, Ryhänen, Jorma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; birth cohort; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - etiology; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - physiopathology; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Confidence intervals; epidemiology; Female; Health risk assessment; Humans; Illnesses; Male; Middle Aged; Mothers; Offspring; Overuse injuries; Prenatal development; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Socioeconomics; tobacco; upper extremity
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.26627

Background Our aim was to determine whether maternal smoking and offspring's own smoking affect the offspring's risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Method The study sample consisted of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (N = 8703). Information on maternal smoking was collected from the participants’ mothers. At 31 years, information on smoking, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and long‐term illnesses were collected, combined with data of CTS diagnoses from the Care Register for Health Care (1997–2016). Results Maternal smoking was not associated with increased risk of CTS in offspring. Before the age of 31 years, smoking ≤10 pack years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11–2.15) and >10 pack years (HR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.20–3.01) among women, and >10 pack years (HR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.14–3.12) among men was associated with CTS compared with nonsmokers. Conclusions In this birth cohort, offsprings’ own smoking was associated with CTS; however, maternal smoking was not.