Life In the Balance

"As a practicing physician, I always paid careful attention to my patients' hands, often beginning my physical exam there, for the hands often provide important diagnostic clues. Thickened tendons in the palm can indicate diabetes. Swelling of soft tissue near the fingertips combined with nailbed changes may be a sign of lung cancer or cardiovascular disease. Painful lumps in the fingertips can suggest an infection of the heart valves."
--Thomas Graboys, M.D

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