title: Smoking and carpal tunnel syndrome: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We assessed the association between smoking and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and estimated the magnitude of the association with meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and SciVerse databases were searched through December 2012. Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cross-sectional studies reported an association between current smoking and CTS (pooled odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-2.60, I-squared = 0%). Meta-analyses of case-control studies did not, however, show an association between smoking and CTS (pooled OR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.95-1.12, I-squared = 0.0%) or surgery due to CTS (pooled OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.82-1.15, I-squared = 0%). Moreover, smoking was not associated with CTS in the meta-analysis of cohort studies (pooled OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.45-1.50, I-squared = 0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found an association between smoking and CTS in cross-sectional studies. This association should be explored further in appropriately designed case-control and cohort studies. Muscle Nerve 49:345-350, 2014.
authors.affiliation: Tampere School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pourmemari
authors.forename: Eira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viikari-Juntura
authors.forename: Rahman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shiri
mesh_terms: D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome; cigarettes; median nerve; median neuropathy; smoking