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By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough the precise cause of Dupuytren's contracture hasn't been identified, a number of factors are believed to increase your risk of the disease, including:
- Family history. A propensity to develop Dupuytren's contracture may be passed on through families, though researchers haven't identified a gene mutation that might identify who's at risk.
- Tobacco and alcohol use. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of Dupuytren's contracture, perhaps because of microscopic changes within blood vessels caused by smoking. Alcohol intake also is associated with Dupuytren's, although not everyone with Dupuytren's abuses alcohol.
- Diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of tender tissue lumps on the palms of the hands, but the condition is generally mild and progresses very slowly. Fingers usually don't become contracted.