Determining risk factors for Dupuytren's disease in the Lifelines cohort

Dupuytren’s disease (DD) is a disorder in which connective tissue beneath the skin of the palm and fingers thickens and contracts, causing permanent curvature of the fingers. DD is caused by both genetic and non-genetic factors. Several phenotypic factors such as advanced age, male gender, and hyperlipidemia were found to associate with DD, but strong evidence is lacking. Due to its size, the Lifelines Cohort Study is suitable to overcome the limitations of earlier studies. Therefore, we aim to investigate which phenotypic factors are associated with DD in the Lifelines Cohort and determine the contribution of these and (epi)genetic factors.