Aneurysm

The thumb-to-palm test is a rough clinical indicator of loose collagen, which correlates with higher aneurysm risk, but does not confirm or rule out an aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak spot in an artery wall that balloons outward under pressure and produces no symptoms until it ruptures. The root cause in most cases is chronic arterial inflammation combined with elevated blood pressure. When an aneurysm ruptures in the brain, the result is a stroke.