The association between diabetes and trigger finger is well-established and diabetics are more vulnerable to develop trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. A study which attempted to determine the impact of glycemic control on the risk of trigger finger concluded that inadequately or poorly controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes correlates with increased risk of trigger finger, as evident from this study, which also highlights the gender differences. Men in particular were at higher risk.

In this study, researchers recruited 9682 adults with type 1 diabetes and 85,755 with type 2 diabetes from the Swedish National Diabetes Register between 2004 and 2019.

Trigger finger developed in 757 patients (486 women and 271 men) with type 1 diabetes and 2152 patients (1143 women and 1009 men) with type 2 diabetes, over the course of the study. High A1c levels were higher among type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes patients who were diagnosed with trigger finger, with odds ratio (OR) of 1.26 for women and 1.4 for men with type 1 diabetes and OR of 1.14 for women and 1.12 for men with type 2 diabetes. Those who developed trigger finger also had longstanding diabetes.

Men with type 1 diabetes with A1c levels >8% were 5-times more likely to develop trigger finger with OR of 5.33 compared to men whose A1c levels were below 6.5%.

While prevention of microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes have been the focus of clinical care, complications such as trigger finger are more often than not ignored. This emphasizes the need for optimal control of hyperglycemia to prevent “diabetic hand complications” such as trigger finger. Clinicians treating patients with diabetes should also examine their patients for hand problems in addition to problems related to the heart, eyes or kidneys.

References

2. Rydberg M, et al. High HbA1c levels are associated with development of trigger finger in type 1 and type 2 diabetes: an observational register-based study from Sweden. Diabetes Care. 2022 Aug 25;dc220829. doi: 10.2337/dc22-0829.
3. High A1c raises trigger finger risk in both diabetes types - Medscape - Oct 27, 2022.