Patriot Health Digest
Heart problems are the top killer of Americans. It might seem like you would know if your heart was in danger. But you would be shocked how cardiovascular issues can appear out of nowhere. Even if you are eating right, your heart could still be at risk.
But a new study is now revealing one quick test you can do to tell if your heart is in trouble.
A study released inside the Journal of Cardiology has discovered that a test using your thumb and palm can accurately predict if you are at risk of a dangerous heart problem called a hidden aortic aneurysm.
According to Yale University, the “thumb-palm” test is where you hold up either hand and with your palm flat, try to bring your thumb as far across your hand as you can. If your thumb reaches the edge of your palm and pokes out, then you are possibly at a greater risk of a hidden aneurysm.
This represents the first study to test the “thumb-palm” test, which medical exports have always touted but had never had clinical proof of. Researchers gave the test to 305 heart patients scheduled to have heart surgery for various issues. Even though 59 people had already been diagnosed with aneurysms, the thumb-palm test found 10 patients with the disorder.
Though the test did missed 49 people’s aneurysms, “patients who can do this thumb movement have a higher chance of having an aneurysm,” senior Yale researcher John A. Elefteriades, MD, William W.L. Glenn said.
The team emphasized that not everyone who can do the thumb move is at risk of an aneurysm soon. They stressed that the condition might take decades to form.
According to Yale, the test simply signifies that “being able to move your thumb in this way is a sign that your long bones are excessive and your joints are lacking—possible hints at connective tissue problems throughout your body, including your aorta.”
Author: Scott Dowdy
