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Are men and women are at equal risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome?

I am a 57 year old female. I want to know are men and women are at equal risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome?

4 Answers

There are many studies that look at this when assessing carpal tunnel cohorts and often they do not make a specific determinant within that cohort , but there are some
studies that state that female gender, obesity and certain shaped wrists are independent risk factors for CTS.
Hello,
That’s a great question. Research has consistently demonstrated that women are at greater risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome compared to men. Possible reasons include smaller carpal tunnel/wrist diameters, as well as hormonal changes that can influence fluid balance within the body.

Sincerely,
Daniel Penello
Unfortunately for you, women are more at risk to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Most studies put women at three times higher risk to develop carpal tunnel syndrome compared to men.

Good luck!
Women get it more, but we are not exactly sure why. It’s probably just an anatomic difference, most experts believe.

Harrison Solomon, M.D.