Research from Germany has shown that the common nerve disorder carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be a harbinger for heart failure. In a study of 164,000 people, those 60 years or older who had the condition — which causes pain, weakness, and numbness in the hand and wrist — had nearly a 50 percent higher risk for heart failure.

Karel Kostev and a team led by Dr. Mark Luedde, of the Cardiology Joint Practice Bremerhaven at Christian Albrechts-University of Kiel in Bremerhaven, looked at about 82,000 German patients who were first diagnosed with CTS between 2005 and 2020 and the same number without CTS. In the end, no risk association of any kind was seen among patients under age 60, although Kostev noted that it’s difficult to put much stock in that finding given that heart failure is very rare among younger patients.

The research team did find a clear risk among patients 60 and up. In that age group, 6.2 percent of non-CTS patients were ultimately diagnosed with heart failure, compared with 8.4 percent of CTS patients.

CTS affects between 3 percent and 6 percent of adults, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.