Cardiologists Warn Thumb Test Misses Most Aortic Aneurysms Despite 2021 Link
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Jun 6
Cardiologists Warn Thumb Test Misses Most Aortic Aneurysms Despite 2021 Link
2 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Jun 6
Summary
Cardiologists said the thumb-palm test should not be used to screen for aortic aneurysms because many aneurysm patients test negative and some healthy people test positive.
The maneuver checks whether a thumb extends past the palm’s edge, a sign of joint laxity tied to connective-tissue disorders such as Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos that can raise aneurysm risk.
A 2021 study found a positive thumb sign was linked to a higher likelihood of ascending aortic aneurysm, but the same research noted most aneurysm patients did not show the sign.
Doctors said imaging—echocardiography, CT or ultrasound—remains the diagnostic gold standard, and a positive thumb test should prompt a discussion of risk factors rather than urgent conclusions.
Risk factors that matter more include age over 65, male sex, smoking, high blood pressure, family history, bicuspid aortic valves and known connective-tissue disease.