Detecting Aortic Aneurysms with a Simple Thumb and Palm Test?

A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology on May 18 explained that a simple test using the thumb and palm of the hand is often effective in detecting aortic aneurysms.

This test, called the "thumb-palm" test, involves lifting one hand, keeping the palm flat, and bending the thumb across the palm as far as possible. If the thumb sticks out past the edge of the palm, the risk of a hidden aneurysm may be higher, according to the study.

Be sure to have your test determined by a medical professional.

DOI: https : //doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2021.03.041

The study examined the accuracy of the "thumb-palm" test, which the researchers said has been used by doctors in clinical practice for decades but has never been evaluated in a clinical setting. They performed these on 305 patients scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery involving aortic aneurysms, and even though 59 patients were diagnosed with ascending aneurysms, the thumb-palm test detected that 10 patients had the disorder, while 295 did not.

The sensitivity of this test is low, but the specificity is very high, according to the study. (98.5%)

A test with high sensitivity will not be able to narrow down the suspected disease because many people will test positive, but a test with high specificity will increase the positive rate because many people will not test positive.

The test missed aortic aneurysms in 49 subjects, but patients with positive tests are more likely to have aneurysms, senior author John A. Eleftheriades, M.D., the William WL Glenn Professor of Surgery at Yale University and director emeritus of the Aortic Institute at Yale-New Haven Hospital, said in a statement They said.

They also emphasized that not everyone who tests positive for the test is necessarily at risk for an imminent aneurysm. And according to the Yale statement, the test simply means that "the ability to move the thumb in such a way indicates that the patient has excessive long bones and loose joints. This can be a sign of systemic connective tissue disease, including: He said.

Get tested by a medical professional who understands the proper cause and effect relationships and can determine and treat them.