Frequency of risk factors in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Objective:  This study aimed to ascertain the frequency of carpal tunnel syndrome risk factors. Materials and Methods:  A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Nishtar Hospital Multan, Pakistan. One hundred and twenty patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) who attended the study site were enrolled. Baseline data, including age, gender, residential area, Duration of CTS, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, were obtained. The blood samples were obtained for screening for hypothyroidism. Results:  It was observed that most of the CTS patients were males (63.3%). The observed mean age was 44.3 ± 12.1 years, and 65.8% of cases belonged to urban areas. The most common risk factor observed among the currently enrolled CTS patients was obesity (70.8%), followed by smoking (50.8%), diabetes mellitus (45%), hypertension (34.2%), and hypothyroidism (22.5%). Conclusion:  Our study shows that the most common risk factor for CTS was obesity, followed by smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypothyroidism.