Many women are known to suffer from hand conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain's disease and stenosing tenosynovitis, during their lactation and menopausal periods. Women typically have low blood estrogen levels during these periods. In addition, many postmenopausal females experience osteoarthritis in their hands and fingers in such forms as thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis, Heberden's nodes and Bouchard's nodes.

When we examine menopausal and postmenopausal patients with hand conditions, we assume that they are suffering from menopausal hand disorders and therefore treat their menopausal symptoms in addition to their hand problems. Among the various treatments we have applied, the administration of equol was found to be effective to some extent in relieving hand symptoms [1,2]. Equol is a soy metabolite produced in humans [3] and the ability to produce equol is known to vary between individuals and ethnic backgrounds [4,5]. In addition, many patients suffering from osteoarthritis in their hands and fingers have a family history of this disease [[6], [7], [8]].

The objective of this research was to investigate differences in equol production and family medical history in groups of women with and without hand diseases.