Peer-reviewed research

Replication of epidemiological associations of carpal tunnel syndrome in a UK population-based cohort of over 400,000 people

Akira Wiberg and et al., Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, 2022 · DOI 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.11.025

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: A study of 401,656 UK Biobank participants that counted carpal tunnel syndrome cases from medical records and compared the odds of the condition in people with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism.
How much weight it carries: Large population cohort with linked medical records, so the counts are reliable. The odds ratios come from nested case-control comparisons and show association, not cause. Participants are mostly middle-aged and of European ancestry.

Facts taken from this source

In UK Biobank, 12,312 of 401,656 participants had carpal tunnel syndrome, a prevalence of 3.1 percent.
“There were 12,312 CTS cases within the curated UK Biobank dataset of 401,656 (3.1% prevalence)” (Results)
After adjustment for body mass index, the odds ratio for carpal tunnel syndrome with hypothyroidism fell to 1.35.
“Adjusted for BMI, these odds ratios fell to 1.75 (95% CI 1.65–1.86), 2.43 (95% CI 2.20–2.69), and 1.35 (95% CI 1.26–1.43), respectively.” (Results)
In UK Biobank, the odds ratio for carpal tunnel syndrome was 1.47 for people with hypothyroidism, before adjustment for body mass index.
“Odds ratios for the association with CTS for three systemic diseases were 2.31 (95% CI 2.17–2.46) for diabetes, 2.70 (95% CI 2.44–2.99) for rheumatoid arthritis, and 1.47 (95% CI 1.38–1.57) for hypothyroidism.” (Results)