Association between hyperlipidemia and trigger finger: A nationwide population-based cohort study

Abstract

The cause of trigger fingers remains uncertain. High lipid levels in the blood may reduce blood supply to the distal fingers and promote inflammation. We aimed to explore the association between hyperlipidemia and trigger finger. A nationwide population-based cohort study using longitudinal data from 2000 to 2013, 41,421 patients were included in the hyperlipidemia cohort and 82,842 age- and sex-matched patients were included in the control cohort. The mean age was 49.90 ± 14.73 years in the hyperlipidemia cohort and 49.79 ± 14.71 years in the control cohort. After adjusting for possible comorbidities, the hazard ratio of trigger finger in the hyperlipidemia cohort was 4.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.57–4.55), with values of 4.59 (95% CI, 3.67–5.73) and 3.77 (95% CI, 3.26–4.36) among male and female patients, respectively. This large-scale population-based study demonstrated that hyperlipidemia is correlated to trigger finger.