They’re all prone to Dupuytren’s contracture – and so am I
Sometimes – for example, when I try to find out the prevalence of Dupuytren’s contracture – I wonder whether Pontius Pilate wasn’t on to something when he asked what truth was. A search into Dupuytren’s contracture – a thickening of tissues in the palm of the hand – gave me figures that ranged from a third of one per cent of the population to 20 per cent. It depends on Mrs Thatcher suffered from the condition, though it is far more common in men. It is rare before the age of 40 and more than twice as common in people who have used vibrating machinery in their work. Northern Europeans are particularly susceptible. There is a hereditary predisposition to it, and both diabetics and alcoholics are more likely to develop it. For some reason, the association between that dissolves the tissue in the palm that’s causing the contracture. The latter...
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