Long ring fingers linked to risk of heart disease

IF YOU’RE female with long ring fingers, then you may be at a greater risk of heart disease.

Researchers from Peking University, in Beijing, compared the hands of 194 heart patients with those of 109 healthy women and found the patients had a lower ‘digit ratio’ — ie, their ring and middle fingers were of more similar lengths. Having a relatively longer ring finger is a more masculine characteristic, thought to indicate greater exposure to testosterone in the womb.

The theory is that this is linked to heart disease, as higher testosterone levels in the womb may have other effects such as diabetes and obesity, which could lead to a higher risk of cardiac problems.