At some point, almost everyone with Dupuytren asks, “What can I do to keep this from getting worse?” It’s a simple question, but there isn’t a simple answer – yet.
We don’t lack potential treatments. There are many possible treatments, including radiation, verapamil, pirfenidone, shockwave, Enbrel, anakinra, verteporfin, lenabasum, massage, allopurinol, steroids, tamoxifen, colchicine, interferon, stretching, blood pressure drugs called angiotensin blockers, Otezla, caffeine, red-light therapy, DMSO, sulforaphane, ginsan, curcumin, castor oil, magnesium oil, N-acetyl-cysteine, pentoxifylline, adalimumab, quercetin, and others. Some of these, such as radiation, adalimumab shots, cortisone shots, and shockwave, can make Dupuytren lumps (nodules) smaller or less painful.
We lack proof that treatments prevent contracture. No treatment has been proven to prevent nodules from becoming contractures or to stop bent fingers from bending more. That’s not because no one has studied it. It’s because we don’t have the right research tools – yet.
We lack tools to test whether preventive treatments work. Here’s why. Only 1 in 4 men and 1 in 8 women with nodules ever get a contracture. When it does happen, it takes about eight years on average. About 1 in 10 nodules go away on their own. Crunching these numbers, if our only test is finger joint angles, a study on preventing contracture might need to follow 1,000 people for five years just to test one drug or treatment. Too inefficient. Too expensive. We need a better test.
Blood tests will be better tools than finger-angle measurements. A blood test can show whether a treatment is working now, so we don’t have to wait years for the hand to change. Doctors already do this with heart disease. They check cholesterol because it changes years before a heart attack or stroke, and it shows right away whether a treatment is helping. That’s why we’re building a blood test for Dupuytren. It will make research faster, easier, and cheaper.
Research is a team sport. Join the team! We recruit people for our studies through the International Dupuytren Data Bank (IDDB). It’s the only registry that tracks how Dupuytren changes over time, with a survey every six months. I’m enrolled, and it’s time! I just got my notice and completed the latest survey. If you’re enrolled, it’s time to fill out your survey. If you’re not enrolled, or aren’t sure, check and sign up now at https://DupStudy.com. We’re planning our next study now, and if you want to take part, make sure you’re enrolled!
Thanks.
Charles Eaton MD
Executive Director, Dupuytren Research Group
