title: Diabetes as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether diabetes increases the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and to estimate the magnitude of the association with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and ResearchGate for articles published between 1950 and January 2015. A total of 36 studies (eight cross-sectional, 21 case-control and seven cohort studies) qualified for meta-analysis. We used a random-effects meta-analysis and assessed heterogeneity and publication bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pooled odds ratio of 25 studies (including a total of 92 564 individuals) that reported unadjusted estimates for the association between diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome or carpal tunnel release was 1.97 (95% CI 1.56-2.49). The pooled odds ratio of 18 case-control or cohort studies consisting of >37 million individuals that reported estimates after controlling for potential confounders was 1.69 (95% CI 1.45-1.96). The association did not differ for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, there was no publication bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggests that both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Tampere School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pourmemari
authors.affiliation: Tampere School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.|Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shiri
mesh_terms: D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors