Significance of clubbed fingernails

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Daniel Prince - 04 Mar 2006 06:03 GMT

What is the significance of clubbed fingernails? My brother who is
in his mid fifties has two fingernails that are somewhat clubbed and
one that is substantially clubbed. He eats some butter, some soft
margarine and a lot of bacon and sausages. He has a lot of
abdominal fat and looks as if he is nine months pregnant.

Do his clubbed fingernails mean that he has coronary artery disease?
Thank you in advance for all replies.

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Howard McCollister - 04 Mar 2006 06:55 GMT

> What is the significance of clubbed fingernails? My brother who is
> in his mid fifties has two fingernails that are somewhat clubbed and
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Do his clubbed fingernails mean that he has coronary artery disease?
> Thank you in advance for all replies.

Clubbing of the fingernails can be a sign of chronic lack of oxygen in the
blood. One cause of that is abnormalities in the way the heart pumps blood
and how well it gets oxygenated, but it isn't necessarily related to
coronary artery disease by itself. Furthermore, if we're talking 2 out of 10
fingernails, that tends to mitigate against chronic cyanosis and makes it
more likely due to abnormalities in the way those two nails grow.

HMc

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REP - 04 Mar 2006 11:04 GMT

> > What is the significance of clubbed fingernails? My brother who is
> > in his mid fifties has two fingernails that are somewhat clubbed and
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> and how well it gets oxygenated, but it isn't necessarily related to
> coronary artery disease by itself.

As I understand it, they can also be a sign of digestive tract problems,
such as IBD or malabsorption (and would affect more than just two nails,
as HMc stated).

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joni - 04 Mar 2006 07:22 GMT

> What is the significance of clubbed fingernails?>
> Do his clubbed fingernails mean that he has coronary artery disease?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubbing

joanne

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REP - 04 Mar 2006 11:00 GMT

> > What is the significance of clubbed fingernails?>
> > Do his clubbed fingernails mean that he has coronary artery disease?
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubbing

I have clubbed nails; in my case, they happen to be an attractive
symptom. A young woman was admiring my nail polish and the way my nails
curve, and asked how I got them to do that, and I told her that they
were club nails. She said she hadn't heard of that brand.

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"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
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