The length of your fingers could reveal significant information about your drinking behaviors, as indicated by a recent study. Researchers suggest that alcohol consumption may be influenced by prenatal sex hormones, leading to this unusual yet intriguing correlation.

In a joint study by Swansea University and the Medical University of Lodz, researchers utilized a group of students to explore this hypothesis. The study’s findings have been recently published in the American Journal of Human Biology.

The researchers uncovered a link between high alcohol consumption and a longer fourth (ring) finger in relation to the second (index) finger. This suggests that a higher exposure to testosterone relative to estrogen in the womb could be associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption during student years.

Professor John Manning, part of Swansea University’s Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise, and Medicine (A-STEM) research team, underlined the significance of this research. He said, “With alcohol consumption being a major social and economic concern, it’s crucial to understand the factors that lead to varying levels of alcohol use among individuals.”

The study, which included 258 participants—169 of them women—also established that alcohol consumption rates differed between genders. Men generally consumed alcohol more heavily than women and also recorded higher mortality rates from alcohol abuse.

In explaining the role of sex hormones in this disparity, Professor Manning said, “A pattern like this suggests an involvement of sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. The ratio of the lengths of the index and ring fingers could serve as an indicator of early exposure to these hormones.”

He further added that people with alcohol dependency often have a significantly longer ring finger relative to their index finger, indicating higher prenatal testosterone exposure. This association, as expected, was stronger in men than in women.

The research team hopes that their findings will contribute towards a deeper understanding of the factors influencing diverse patterns of alcohol consumption, from abstinence to occasional use and harmful dependency.

This research adds to the growing body of work by Professor Manning on the implications of digit ratios. His previous research has explored how digit ratio could provide crucial information regarding outcomes after contracting Covid-19 and oxygen consumption in footballers.