Carpal tunnel syndrome in older patients may be associated with up to a 50% greater risk of new-onset heart failure than those without median nerve compression, German doctors report.

While previous research has shown a link between surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and heart failure (HF), the latest study points to a direct link between the conditions.

In a research letter, the authors compared outcomes between 82,000 patients with CTS (mean age 53) and matched controls from nearly 1300 general practices in Germany from 2005-20.

Over a 10-year period, 8.4% and 6.2% of patients with and without CTS were diagnosed with new-onset HF, respectively, with an overall incidence of 8.7 versus 6.1 cases per 1000 person-years.