Cardiologist Aurelio Rojas has issued a message that has sparked great interest on social media. In one of his videos posted on Instagram, the specialist has shown a simple test that anyone can perform at home. According to what he explained, bending the thumb toward the palm of the hand can provide information about cardiovascular health.
Rojas has warned that this seemingly harmless gesture could be related to the early detection of a very serious disease. Specifically, he has pointed out that the range of motion of the thumb can serve as an indirect warning sign of an aortic aneurysm. The aorta, let us recall, is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
What does it mean if your thumb reaches the middle of your palm?
In this context, the cardiologist has clarified that there is a way to distinguish what is normal from what could be a suspicious sign. "If your thumb, when you bend it, reaches approximately the middle of the palm of your hand, this is considered normal," he explained. However, those who can easily surpass the limit of the palm or even reach the outer edge of the hand could be at greater risk of an aortic aneurysm.
An aortic aneurysm consists of a pathological dilation of this artery, which makes its walls weaker and more unstable. This situation can lead to serious complications such as rupture or dissection of the artery, problems that pose a life-threatening risk. The danger lies in the fact that, in many cases, this dilation doesn't produce symptoms until very advanced stages, which makes its detection difficult.
A simple gesture with preventive value
For this reason, the observation of external signs becomes relevant, although always with caution. According to what Rojas emphasized, the thumb test is not a diagnosis in itself, but rather a screening sign that can prompt greater medical vigilance. The importance lies in the fact that such a simple gesture could open the door to a more detailed checkup through validated tests such as echocardiography, CT scan, or MRI.
The specialist has also recalled that this relationship was studied in 2021 by researchers at Yale University. That work, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, found a connection between joint hyperlaxity and ascending aortic aneurysm. The experts suggested that collagen alteration, whether due to genetic or nutritional causes, could be behind both joint weakness and the fragility of the aortic wall.
Should we be concerned about this sign?
However, Rojas has insisted that this sign should not cause unnecessary alarm. People with great flexibility, such as dancers or gymnasts, often present joint hypermobility without this necessarily implying cardiovascular risk. Therefore, the so-called "thumb sign" can yield false positives in completely healthy people.
Reactions on social media did not take long to appear. Health professionals have reminded that bending the thumb beyond what is usual doesn't automatically mean that someone will develop an aneurysm. This gesture only becomes relevant if it appears along with other physical characteristics linked to connective tissue syndromes.
Thus, Aurelio Rojas's warning seeks to promote awareness about the importance of paying attention to seemingly small signs. Although this simple thumb sign doesn't replace medical tests, it can serve as a warning that, in some cases, allows problems to be detected early. His message aims at prevention and responsible monitoring of cardiovascular health.