Is Smoking Associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? A Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The relationship between smoking and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) remains uncertain.
• Investigating potential risk factors like smoking is crucial for understanding CTS etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing literature on the association between smoking and CTS.
• To clarify the role of smoking as a risk factor for developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive literature searches in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus up to October 2021.
• Included 31 studies (13 cross-sectional, 10 case-control, 8 cohort) in the meta-analysis.
• Employed random-effects meta-analysis and assessed heterogeneity using the I² statistic.

Main Results:

• Meta-analyses of cohort and case-control studies showed no significant difference in CTS risk between current, past, and never smokers.
• Cross-sectional studies indicated a potential association between ever smoking and current smoking with CTS.
• These associations from cross-sectional studies diminished after adjusting for study quality, publication bias, and attrition bias.

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis does not support a causal association between smoking and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Observed associations in cross-sectional studies are likely attributable to biases and confounding factors.
• Further high-quality research may be needed to definitively rule out any minor associations.