Abstract
This study was conducted to observe the characteristics of the risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in Chinese population. CTS of 1,512 outpatients aged 41-70 years were without any other diseases which could cause numbness as a case group, and 4,536 non-CTS outpatients as a control group were involved in the study in 2013-2014. Both groups received a questionnaire and the case group received another electrical physiological examination. The results showed the odds ratio (OR) of age is 0.990 (95% CI, 0.984-0.996). The OR of BMI is 1.096 (95% CI, 1.077-1.115). The OR of smoking is 4.862 (95% CI, 3.991-5.925). The OR of wrist injury is 1.313 (95% CI, 1.019-1.691). The OR of diabetes mellitus is 1.837 (95% CI, 1.557-2.168). The OR of hypertension is 0.805 (95% CI, 0.688-0.942). The OR of hypothyroidism is 1.385 (95% CI, 1.119-1.715). The OR of rheumatic disease is 4.450 (95% CI, 3.712-5.215). The results showed that sex, age, smoking, wrist injury, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism and wrist working are all risk factors of CTS. Hypertension could be a protection factor of CTS in early phase but will increase the risk in a long-term high blood pressure. Smoking, alcohol and diabetes mellitus can be predictors of moderate and severe CTS.