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Statin Treatment Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, But not of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment, in Type 2 Diabetes—A Nationwide Register Study

Zimmerman, Malin LU orcid ; Perez, Raquel LU orcid ; Merlo, Juan LU orcid ; Nilsson, Peter M. LU ; Gottsäter, Anders LU and Dahlin, Lars B. LU orcid (2025) In Clinical Therapeutics 47(12). p.1097-1103
Abstract

Background: Individuals with diabetes (DM) are often treated with statins, which have a rare side effect: peripheral neuropathy. We aimed to study whether statin treatment affects the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE) in type 2 DM (T2DM). Methods: We combined multiple national registers in Sweden to identify individuals diagnosed with CTS or UNE in specialized care 2011–2014. Individuals diagnosed with T2DM within 5 years before CTS or UNE diagnosis were included in the diabetes group. Statin treatment was defined as a prescription within 5 years before baseline. Multinominal regression analysis assessed the Relative Risk (RR) [95% confidence interval; CI] of CTS and UNE with statin treatment, using... (More)

Background: Individuals with diabetes (DM) are often treated with statins, which have a rare side effect: peripheral neuropathy. We aimed to study whether statin treatment affects the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE) in type 2 DM (T2DM). Methods: We combined multiple national registers in Sweden to identify individuals diagnosed with CTS or UNE in specialized care 2011–2014. Individuals diagnosed with T2DM within 5 years before CTS or UNE diagnosis were included in the diabetes group. Statin treatment was defined as a prescription within 5 years before baseline. Multinominal regression analysis assessed the Relative Risk (RR) [95% confidence interval; CI] of CTS and UNE with statin treatment, using the general population as a reference. Results: In total, 4,771,118 individuals were included; 765,114 (16%) were treated with statins. There were 45,706 cases of CTS, 8,082 cases of UNE, and 244,220 individuals with T2DM. Statin treatment increased the risk of CTS (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.5]) and UNE (RR 1.4 [1.3–1.5]), adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and socioeconomy. In individuals without diabetes, risks for CTS (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.5]) and UNE (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.6]) remained higher. In T2DM patients, statins increased the risk of CTS (RR 1.3 [1.2–1.4]) but not of UNE (RR 1.1 [0.9–1.3]). In all included individuals, cardiovascular diseases elevated the risk of CTS (RR 1.2 [1.1–1.2]) and UNE (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.7]). Conclusion: Statin treatment is associated with a higher risk of CTS and UNE in individuals without T2DM but only of CTS in individuals with T2DM. CTS and UNE may have different aetiologies.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Carpal tunnel syndrome, Diabetes type 2, Statin treatment, Ulnar nerve entrapment
in
Clinical Therapeutics
volume
47
issue
12
pages
7 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:41224542
  • scopus:105021376206
ISSN
0149-2918
DOI
10.1016/j.clinthera.2025.10.002
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
id
74284e82-3df1-4265-bb25-c86b63c160e2
date added to LUP
2025-12-19 14:15:06
date last changed
2025-12-19 14:16:20
@article{74284e82-3df1-4265-bb25-c86b63c160e2,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Individuals with diabetes (DM) are often treated with statins, which have a rare side effect: peripheral neuropathy. We aimed to study whether statin treatment affects the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE) in type 2 DM (T2DM). Methods: We combined multiple national registers in Sweden to identify individuals diagnosed with CTS or UNE in specialized care 2011–2014. Individuals diagnosed with T2DM within 5 years before CTS or UNE diagnosis were included in the diabetes group. Statin treatment was defined as a prescription within 5 years before baseline. Multinominal regression analysis assessed the Relative Risk (RR) [95% confidence interval; CI] of CTS and UNE with statin treatment, using the general population as a reference. Results: In total, 4,771,118 individuals were included; 765,114 (16%) were treated with statins. There were 45,706 cases of CTS, 8,082 cases of UNE, and 244,220 individuals with T2DM. Statin treatment increased the risk of CTS (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.5]) and UNE (RR 1.4 [1.3–1.5]), adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and socioeconomy. In individuals without diabetes, risks for CTS (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.5]) and UNE (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.6]) remained higher. In T2DM patients, statins increased the risk of CTS (RR 1.3 [1.2–1.4]) but not of UNE (RR 1.1 [0.9–1.3]). In all included individuals, cardiovascular diseases elevated the risk of CTS (RR 1.2 [1.1–1.2]) and UNE (RR 1.5 [1.4–1.7]). Conclusion: Statin treatment is associated with a higher risk of CTS and UNE in individuals without T2DM but only of CTS in individuals with T2DM. CTS and UNE may have different aetiologies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zimmerman, Malin and Perez, Raquel and Merlo, Juan and Nilsson, Peter M. and Gottsäter, Anders and Dahlin, Lars B.}},
  issn         = {{0149-2918}},
  keywords     = {{Carpal tunnel syndrome; Diabetes type 2; Statin treatment; Ulnar nerve entrapment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1097--1103}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Clinical Therapeutics}},
  title        = {{Statin Treatment Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, But not of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment, in Type 2 Diabetes—A Nationwide Register Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2025.10.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.clinthera.2025.10.002}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}