Is metacarpophalangeal joint restriction an indicator of blood pressure?
Arterial wall stiffness is implicated in the etiopathogenesis of hypertension, reflecting medial stiffness and atherosclerotic plaques. In individuals with diabetes, musculoskeletal phenotypes like limited joint mobility (LJM) in the hands suggests soft tissue fibrosis and could mirror internal organ fibrosis including arterial stiffness. In Quantifying hand stiffness, mean extension at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint emerges as a promising metric. In a type 1 diabetes cohort, this correlated with structural fibrotic changes on MRI. The study introduces a clinically scalable methodology for measuring joint stiffness, with implications for community screening programs for hypertension. In an ongoing study with 1885 participants, MCP extension showed a significant association with SBP (p <0.001). Linear regression, adjusted for age, gender, and diabetes status, reveals a negative correlation between average MCP extension and SBP. These pilot findings support earlier associations with an easier methodology. Future work involves establishing cutoffs in mean MCP extension for optimized screening algorithms, considering potential confounders like physical activity.
