Prevalence of Dupuytren’s Contracture and its Correlation with Degenerative Changes of the Hands and Feet and with Criteria of General Health

Abstract

The prevalence of Dupuytren's contracture and its coincidence with degenerative changes in the hands and feet as well as loss of distal pulses, were studied in 574 55-year-old residents of Malmö, Sweden. Dupuytren's contracture occurred in 6% of the subjects studied, predominantly in men. Dupuytren's contracture was more common in men with degenerative changes in the feet and in men with signs of impaired arterial blood flow in the lower limbs. Men with Dupuytren's contracture had significantly less subcutaneous fat tissue, as measured by a triceps skinfold index, than men without Dupuytren's contracture. Other signs of general health, occupational work load or psychosocial factors did not interact with Dupuytren's contracture in the current study.

Evaluation of Activity Limitation and Digital Extension in Dupuytren's Contracture Three Months after Fasciectomy and Hand Therapy Interventions

“…Most patients in the present study were men (92 %), which confirm results from other studies showing that the disease is more common in men (2,3). The sample in this study is also comparable to other previously performed studies concerning age (2), heredity (29), and diabetes (4,30).…”

“…Dupuytren's contracture is common in northern Europe, particularly among older men (2). A Swedish study (3) has shown a prevalence of 6 % in the population. Appreciable risk factors are diabetes mellitus (4), heredity (5), alcohol and smoking (6).…”

A prospective study linked both alcohol and tobacco to Dupuytren's disease

“…No difference in alcohol consumption was found between cases and controls, but this was not a prospective study. Likewise, a study from Malmö, Sweden, found no relationship of Dupuytren's disease with occupational or psychosocial factors [17]; furthermore, the disease prevalence was much lower than in our study or the Reykjavik study.…”

The Hand of Sabazios: Evidence of Dupuytren’s Disease in Antiquity and the Origin of the Hand of Benediction

“…10) In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former location of Thrace, incidence of Dupuytren's disease has been recorded as low as 17% in men aged 50-54 to as high as 75% of men aged 75-79. 11) Contrary to the "Viking's disease" model, incidence has been reported at 6% in Sweden, 12) 13.3% in Iceland, 13) 14% in Finland, 14) and 11% in Denmark. 15) Based upon modern epidemiological data, one could argue that Dupuytren's disease may have been found in Thrace and Phrygia even prior to its appearance in Scandinavia.…”