What your fingers say about your health: Understanding surprising link between clubbed fingers and hidden serious diseases

Digital clubbing is an old and important sign that doctors look for. It’s when the ends of the fingers or toes swell up, making them look bulbous, like drumsticks or watch-glasses. This condition has been known since the time of Hippocrates, nearly 2,500 years ago, which is why it’s sometimes called the Hippocratic finger. While the clubbed fingers themselves usually don’t cause pain, they are often a warning sign. They can point to a serious hidden illness, such as lung cancer, chronic suppurative (pus-forming) conditions, or certain heart and liver problems. The exact way this happens is still not fully clear, but recent research suggests that certain growth factors in the body, like platelet-derived growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, play a role in its cause. Clu