Risk Factors
Dupuytren's contracture is a non-specific affliction, but primarily affects:
- People of Scandinavian or Northern European ancestry; it has been called the "Viking disease" or "Celtic hand", though it is also widespread in some Mediterranean countries (e.g., Spain and Bosnia) and in Japan;
- Men rather than women (men are ten times as likely to develop the condition);
- People over the age of 40;
- People with a family history (60% to 70% of those afflicted have a genetic predisposition to Dupuytren's contracture);
- People with liver cirrhosis.
Some suspected, but unproven, causes of Dupuytren's contracture include trauma, diabetes, alcoholism, epilepsy therapy with phenytoin, and liver disease. There is no proven evidence that hand injuries or specific occupational exposures lead to a higher risk of developing Dupuytren’s contracture, although there is some speculation that Dupuytren's may be caused by, or at least the onset may be triggered by, physical trauma such as manual labor or other over-exertion of the hands. However, the fact that Dupuytren's is not connected with handedness casts some doubt on this claim.
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