Prevalence and coincidence of degenerative changes of the hands and feet in middle age and their relationship to occupational work load, intelligence, and social background.

The occurrence and coincidence of degenerative changes in hands and feet were studied in 574 55-year-old residents of Malmö, Sweden. The prevalence of Heberden's nodes and arthrosis of the first carpometacarpal joints (CMC-I) was 15% and 2% higher in women, respectively. Degenerative changes in the feet, again more common in women, occurred in 16%. In men there was a coincidence between degenerative changes in hands and feet. Women with Heberden's nodes had more physically demanding jobs. Otherwise, factors such as intelligence and social background could not be demonstrated to correlate with hand and foot conditions.