There are many small health controls that people can do at home-from checking your wrist to breast self-examination. But one that is perhaps less known is the thumb test.
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It is a relatively simple maneuver, but it has the potential to reveal instructions about a possible heart issue.
So what exactly does the “thumb test” entail, and what should people know about it? Cardiologists break it down below.
What is the thumb test?
“The thumb test is an easy test that people can do to see if they run an increased risk of an aorta aneurysm,” preventive cardiologist told Dr. Tracy Paeschke on Huffpost. “The thumb test includes laying your thumb over your flat palm. If your thumb extends beyond the edge of your palm, this indicates laxity or reclosure joint, which can be associated with connective tissue diseases.”
Illustration: Huffpost
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Connective tissue diseases such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are associated with a higher risk of aneurysmas, in particular aortic aneurysmas, because people with these disorders tend to have weakened blood vessel walls.
Also known as the Duim-Palm test, the thumb test does not necessarily indicate that someone currently has an aneurysm. It rather helps to detect the type of joint hypermobility that is related to these disorders – which entail an increased risk of aneurysms.
“A study in 2021 showed that people with a positive thumb sign had a high chance of an increasing aorta -aurysm, broadening the large blood vessel in the chest that bears blood from the heart to all parts of the body,” said Paeschke.
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What are the limitations of the thumb test?
“Remember that this is not a diagnostic test,” said Dr. Marc Bonaca, a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist and chairman of the American Heart Association Pad Collaborative. “Most people with an aorta aurysm have a negative thumb test.
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Indeed, the same study from 2021 that discovered that those with a positive test rather had an aortic aneurysm, also noted that “the majority of aneurysm patients do not manifest a positive thumb sign.” A negative result therefore does not exclude an aneurysm.
“The thumb test is not considered accurate or reliable as a screening instrument for an aorta -aurysm,” said Dr. Tarak Rambhatla, a cardiologist at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute or Baptist Health South Florida. “Many healthy people can have a 'positive' test without any mixed connective tissue disease or a vascular disease. And conversely, many others with aneurysmas can have a normal thumb test. Screening on aneurysm is done with imaging such as echocardiography, CT or Ultrasound – not physical maneuvers.”
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He believes that the thumb test “is an interesting plate that is linked to connective tissue disorders,” but can be further misleading.
“A positive result is not -specific and can cause unnecessary fear, while a negative result can offer a false reassurance to someone who actually has an aneurysm,” said Rambhatla. “Subsequently, surpassing can delay the correct screening or surveillance with imaging in people with a high risk. In short, it should never replace formal medical evaluation or guidelines-based aneurysma screening.”
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Dr. Glenn Hirsch, a cardiologist and head of the Cardiology Division in National Jewish Health, also emphasized that other factors are more predictive for the presence of an aorta oreurysm than the thumb test – such as cardiovascular issues or a family history of aneurysmas.
“There are other causes of aortaneurysms in the chest, such as high blood pressure, and this test would be less useful in that situation,” Hirsch said.
What should you do if you have a positive thumb test?
Illustration: Huffpost
“If you have a positive thumb test, you must talk to your doctor about whether this can suggest an underlying connective tissue disease and whether you should have extra tests,” said Bonaca, adding that your doctor could do a more complete physical examination and order certain scans. “Aneurysms are diagnosed with imaging and guidelines for testing for specific reasons in people who are at risk.”
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He noticed that imaging is the gold standard for diagnosing aneurysms, and there are medical guidelines that recommend testing based on the assessment of certain risk factors.
“If someone with a positive thumb test also has characteristics that point to Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos, or a family history of aneurysm or dissection, they must discuss this with a doctor who can recommend formal evaluation and imaging of the aorta,” said Rambhatla. “If it is an isolated finding in a different healthy person, it usually does not justify urgent concern, but it can be raised during a routine medical visit for context.”
Hirsch has also recommended to discuss risk factors with their doctors to determine when screening and monitoring are appropriate.
“Some of the risk factors for aortaneurysms are age older than 65, men, smokers, high blood pressure, connective tissue disorders“ Or a family history of aorta aneurysmas and the presence of bicuspid aorta valves, “he said.
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He also pointed to other potential signs of an underlying connective tissue disorder beyond the thumb test-such as “double joint”, with joint discoveries and even losing teeth.
“Ultimately, the consciousness of the thumb test can cause useful conversations,” said Rambhatla. “But medical decision-making must always be led by evidence-based screening and imaging.”
This article originally appeared on Huffpost.
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