Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as an Early Underrecognized Feature of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population‐Based Study of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Occurrence Before and After Rheumatoid Arthritis Incidence
Main finding · Prevalence of CTS before or on RA incidence or indexResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 2.23 95% CI 1.69–2.94Authors' conclusion
We found a more than two-fold increase in risk of CTS in the years preceding RA and a 1.8-fold increased risk of incident CTS following RA onset.
Study context
- Population
- Residents of a geographically defined area with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (1987 ACR criteria) in 1980 to 2019 and matched individuals without RAmatched 1:1
- Participants
- 1,335 vs 1,331
- Exposure
- RA vs matched individuals without RA
- RAn = 1,335
- Without RAn = 1,331reference
- Outcome
- Occurrence of CTS before and after RA incidence (at least two diagnosis codes ≥30 days apart)
Methodological detailscompeting risk of death, logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models
- Competing risk of death
- Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of CTS before or on RA incidence or index
Odds ratio
2.23
95% CI 1.69–2.94
Events by group
RAvs Without RA
OR 2.23 (95% CI 1.69–2.94)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Incident CTS after RA incidence or index · following RA incidence or index | HR 1.78 (95% CI 1.38–2.30) | |
| CTS in seronegative vs seropositive RA (subgroup)Seronegative RAvs Seropositive RABefore RA incidence | OR 1.33 (95% CI 0.96–1.84) | |
| CTS in seronegative vs seropositive RA (subgroup)Seronegative RAvs Seropositive RAAfter RA incidence | HR 1.37 (95% CI 0.99–1.88) | |
| 0.512Ratio (log scale) |
Events
| Outcome | RA | Without RA |
|---|---|---|
| Previous CTS occurring ≥2 years before index date | 112 | 75 |
Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in RA
- Obesity, HR
- 1.42 (95% CI 1.02-1.99)
- Seronegative anti-CCP status, HR
- 1.79 (95% CI 1.07-2.99)
- Other risk factors not associated with increased CTS risk
Original publication
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as an Early Underrecognized Feature of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population‐Based Study of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Occurrence Before and After Rheumatoid Arthritis Incidence. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 16 June 2025. doi:10.
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