Family history of diabetes in first-degree relatives and risk of hand surgical diagnoses : a Swedish population-based cohort study from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study
Lesand, Lovisa LU
; Rydberg, Mattias
LU
; Nilsson, Peter
LU
; Dahlin, Lars B
LU
and Zimmerman, Malin
LU
(2026)
In BMJ Open
16(6).
p.1-7
- Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a strong genetic component and is a known risk factor for several hand conditions. We aimed to examine whether DM in first-degree relatives is associated with an increased risk of hand surgical diagnoses.
DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: Data were collected from a population-based cohort in southern Sweden (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS)). Family relationships were obtained through the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and healthcare diagnoses from the National Patient Register.
PARTICIPANTS: 30 446 individuals (60% female) aged 45-73 years were included from the MDCS.
OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was any diagnosis within the 'diabetic hand'... (More)
OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a strong genetic component and is a known risk factor for several hand conditions. We aimed to examine whether DM in first-degree relatives is associated with an increased risk of hand surgical diagnoses.
DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: Data were collected from a population-based cohort in southern Sweden (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS)). Family relationships were obtained through the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and healthcare diagnoses from the National Patient Register.
PARTICIPANTS: 30 446 individuals (60% female) aged 45-73 years were included from the MDCS.
OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was any diagnosis within the 'diabetic hand' category; carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment, trigger finger, Dupuytren's disease and thumb base osteoarthritis, identified through International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision codes. Logistic regression models were used.
RESULTS: In the index study population, 4 150 (14%) had ≥1 hand surgical diagnosis. In unadjusted models, DM in the index individual and first-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of developing hand surgical diagnoses (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22). After adjusting for confounders, only DM in the index individual remained significantly associated with the diabetic hand (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.33). In diagnosis-specific analyses, an association persisted between having ≥1 sibling with DM and Dupuytren's disease (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.76), and between having ≥1 child with DM and carpal tunnel syndrome (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.39).
CONCLUSION: While DM in the index individual was consistently associated with a higher risk of multiple hand surgical diagnoses, DM in first-degree relatives did not significantly influence the risk after adjustments. Exceptions included an association between ≥1 sibling with DM and Dupuytren's disease, and ≥1 child with DM and carpal tunnel syndrome. Future research should further explore potential genetic factors contributing to these conditions.
(Less)
- author
- Lesand, Lovisa
LU
; Rydberg, Mattias
LU
; Nilsson, Peter
LU
; Dahlin, Lars B
LU
and Zimmerman, Malin
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-06-19
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Humans, Female, Sweden/epidemiology, Middle Aged, Male, Aged, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Dupuytren Contracture/epidemiology, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/epidemiology, Family, Logistic Models, Hand/surgery, Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology, Trigger Finger Disorder/epidemiology, Registries, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Osteoarthritis/epidemiology
- in
- BMJ Open
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 6
- article number
- e117616
- pages
- 1 - 7
- publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:42320962
- ISSN
- 2044-6055
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-117616
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group.
- id
- 1e2b70fc-288d-47fe-80d3-d10420da6681
- date added to LUP
- 2026-07-01 17:41:29
- date last changed
- 2026-07-02 07:57:51
@article{1e2b70fc-288d-47fe-80d3-d10420da6681,
abstract = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a strong genetic component and is a known risk factor for several hand conditions. We aimed to examine whether DM in first-degree relatives is associated with an increased risk of hand surgical diagnoses.</p><p>DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study.</p><p>SETTING: Data were collected from a population-based cohort in southern Sweden (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS)). Family relationships were obtained through the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and healthcare diagnoses from the National Patient Register.</p><p>PARTICIPANTS: 30 446 individuals (60% female) aged 45-73 years were included from the MDCS.</p><p>OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was any diagnosis within the 'diabetic hand' category; carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment, trigger finger, Dupuytren's disease and thumb base osteoarthritis, identified through International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision codes. Logistic regression models were used.</p><p>RESULTS: In the index study population, 4 150 (14%) had ≥1 hand surgical diagnosis. In unadjusted models, DM in the index individual and first-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of developing hand surgical diagnoses (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22). After adjusting for confounders, only DM in the index individual remained significantly associated with the diabetic hand (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.33). In diagnosis-specific analyses, an association persisted between having ≥1 sibling with DM and Dupuytren's disease (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.76), and between having ≥1 child with DM and carpal tunnel syndrome (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.39).</p><p>CONCLUSION: While DM in the index individual was consistently associated with a higher risk of multiple hand surgical diagnoses, DM in first-degree relatives did not significantly influence the risk after adjustments. Exceptions included an association between ≥1 sibling with DM and Dupuytren's disease, and ≥1 child with DM and carpal tunnel syndrome. Future research should further explore potential genetic factors contributing to these conditions.</p>}},
author = {{Lesand, Lovisa and Rydberg, Mattias and Nilsson, Peter and Dahlin, Lars B and Zimmerman, Malin}},
issn = {{2044-6055}},
keywords = {{Humans; Female; Sweden/epidemiology; Middle Aged; Male; Aged; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Dupuytren Contracture/epidemiology; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/epidemiology; Family; Logistic Models; Hand/surgery; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology; Trigger Finger Disorder/epidemiology; Registries; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Osteoarthritis/epidemiology}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{06}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{1--7}},
publisher = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
series = {{BMJ Open}},
title = {{Family history of diabetes in first-degree relatives and risk of hand surgical diagnoses : a Swedish population-based cohort study from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-117616}},
doi = {{10.1136/bmjopen-2026-117616}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2026}},
}