Dupuytren Disease Predicts Increased Cancer and Cardiovascular Mortality: A Large Study in Primary Care in the United Kingdom

Objective/Hypothesis: Dupuytren disease is an inherited fibroproliferative disease of the palmer fascia and frequently leads to disability and reduced quality of life. Previous small studies from Scandinavia have suggested that Dupuytren disease might be associated with increased mortality. We therefore hypothesized that Dupuytren disease would be associated with an increase in all-cause mortality within the UK and that this excess mortality might be accounted for by an increase in cancer or cardiovascular deaths. Materials and Methods: We harnessed the UK Clinical Research Practice Database (CPRD), a large primary care database containing the anonymized health records of approximately 8% of the UK population between January 1995 and December 2013. Cases were defined according to a code list defined by 2 independent clinically qualified researchers, with consensus reached by a third. Controls were matched by age, sex, and geographical location. Linked mortality data were provided by the Office for Nationa...