Doctor reveals the simple thumb test that can show a 'ticking time bomb' heart problem

Daily Mail​

10-06-2025

An emergency doctor has flagged a one-minute DIY test that could reveal a 'ticking time bomb' killer heart condition.
Dr Joe Whittington, an emergency medicine expert from California, said the hack, which involves stretching your thumb across the wrist, could indicate a high risk of suffering an aortic aneurysm.
This involves the aorta—the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body—bulging or swelling, risking a rupture.
Ruptures in the blood vessel are often fatal due to severe internal bleeding, unless treated rapidly with emergency surgery.
In a video on TikTok that has so far amassed over 230,000 views, Dr Whittington told his followers: 'Hold up your palm and try and stretch your thumb across as far as you can. Does it stop about there?
'Or does it extend pass your palm like these? If it does that is a positive thumb-palm test.'
If your thumb extends past your palm this could mean your connective tissues are 'very stretchy', he said, indicating that the same stretchiness applies to the tissues in the arteries, meaning a high chance of swelling or bulging.
He went on to detail a 2021 study, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, which found 60 per cent of people with known aortic aneurysms had a positive palm-thumb test.
@drjoe_md
Can your thumb predict a hidden heart problem? 🫣 The 'thumb-to-palm' test was linked to a higher risk of ascending aortic aneurysm in a Yale study, almost 60% of patients with aneurysms had a positive result. But before you panic, this doesn't mean you have one. It's just one potential sign of stretchy connective tissue, which could also mean a stretchy aorta. If your thumb crosses your palm, especially with a family history of heart issues or connective tissue disorders, talk to your doctor. Flexibility is great… just not in your arteries. 😅 #hearthealth #ehlersdanlossyndrome #connectivetissuedisorder #healthtips
♬ original sound - Dr. Joe, M.D. 🩺
The researchers gave the test to 305 patients underdoing cardiac surgery for a variety of disorders, including aortic aneurysms.
While the majority of aneurysm patients do not manifest a positive thumb-palm sign,, patients who did have a positive test had a high likelihood of harboring an aneurysm.
It's estimated that around 5,000 people in the UK die from aorta-related problems every year, with aneurysms and dissections being the leading causes.
While many aneurysms don't cause symptoms until they rupture, doctors may spot them during routine test and offer treatments to prevent damage such as blood pressure medication.
Those that do cause symptoms tend to trigger pain in the chest, neck, and/or back; swelling of the head, neck and arms; coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.
But those with a positive palm-thumb test, 'should not freak out', said Dr Whittington.
'It's worth bringing it up with your doctor so they can diver deeper into any sort of connective tissue disorders.'
There are over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue, but there are different types.
These include genetic disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autoimmune disorders such as lupus and cancers like some types of soft tissue sarcoma.
The three most common aortic-related connective tissue disorders are Marfan Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.
In the UK, over 18,000 people are affected by Marfan syndrome, although it is believed to remain undiagnosed in many people.
Experts estimate nearly half of people who have the condition don't know it, so knowing the signs can save lives.
It can cause symptoms like heart palpitations, eye pain, shortness of breath and vision changes like astigmatism.
It can affect other parts of the body giving physical features like long and narrow face, limbs that seem too long for the rest of the body, and crowded teeth.
Those with this condition are at up to a 250 times greater risk of aortic dissection, a tear or rupture between layers of the aortic wall, than the general population.
EDS is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders affecting the skin, joints and blood vessels.
It is estimated there are anywhere between 135,000 and 300,000 people in the UK with the condition.
The most common type of EDS is hypermobile EDS (hEDS), which is thought to be underdiagnosed.
It is estimated that around 740 people in the UK have vEDS which is diagnosed on the basis of subtle signs in their physical appearance and their medical history.
Common features include a history of easy and significant bruising often from birth, varicose veins, lobeless ears and fine hear which may be thinning.
Others include unusually visible veins, thin nose and lips, prominent eyes, and premature aging of the skin on the hands and feet.
However, not everyone who has similar features which are common in the population will have vEDs.
It is estimated there are less than one in 100,000 people with Loeys-Dietz Syndrome in the UK.