Digit ratio (2D:4D) is not related to cardiovascular diseases or their risk factors in menopausal women

Abstract

Objectives Digit ratio (2D:4D) is widely used as a biomarker of prenatal hormonal environment linked to the growing number of adult health and disease‐related characteristics. It has been suggested that 2D:4D is a good predictor of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk among men, but results in women are still inconclusive. Here we test the relationship between 2D:4D and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and their risk factors in Polish, rural women. Methods The participants were 410 women age 50 and older. Structured questionnaire was used to gather personal and medical data, including the history of CVD diagnosed by a medical doctor. Anthropometric measurements of body height, weight, and finger lengths were performed. Right‐hand and left‐hand 2D:4D, mean 2D:4D, Dl‐r, and BMI were calculated afterward. For a subgroup of participants (n = 329) fasting blood sample was collected (in order to assess the lipid profile and glucose levels) and blood pressure was measured. Age, education level and BMI were included as potential covariates. Results No statistically significant association was observed between 2D:4D markers and the incidence of CVD (eg, heart attack, stroke) or CVD risk factors (dyslipidaemia, dysglycaemia or hypertension), when controlled for age, education and BMI. Conclusions The results of our study add to the growing number of studies investigating the sex‐difference of the association between 2D:4D and cardiac health. We conclude that from a public health perspective 2D:4D may not be a valuable biomarker of elevated risk of CVDs in women.

Sexual Dimorphism and Sex-2D : 4D Interactions on Fasting Lipid Variables in an Adult Ghanaian Population

“…This suggestion is evidenced in previous studies where an increased 2D : 4D ratio was associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and/or its complications [20,21]. However, other studies found higher 2D : 4D in patients with metabolic syndrome and/or its severity, while some found no significant relationships [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. The incidence and the early onset of cardiometabolic diseases have also been found to be relatively higher in males than in premenopausal females.…”

“…Despite the inconclusive nature of previous studies, some authors sought to determine the association between the 2D : 4D ratio and risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases such as fasting plasma lipid parameters and anthropometric variables. While some authors have reported a positive relationship between the 2D : 4D ratio and the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, others found the reverse or no significant relationship [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. However, a previous study found a significant positive correlation between triglycerides and the 2D : 4D ratio of both hands [22].…”

Ayurgenomics-based frameworks in precision and integrative medicine: Translational opportunities

“…This may no longer seem incongruous to the modern audience as there is now ample evidence accumulating that demonstrates the association of noninvasive phenotypes with disease risk. For instance, the relatively innocuous measures, like the 2D/4D finger length ratio is highly informative in predicting many diverse outcomes, such as risk for cardiovascular diseases, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD, and behavioral traits, and so on (Manning et al, 1998 ; Manning et al, 2001 ; Manning et al, 2007 ; Coates et al, 2009 ; Fischer Pedersen et al, 2021 ).…”