Finger Length Ratio and Body Composition In Chuvashians

Very few studies that evaluated the association between fi nger length ratio and body composition in adult population showed very diverse results. We carried out a radiographic study on a large population sample who had participated in a Chuvashian skeletal aging study investigating different aspects of skeletal aging. The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between 2D:4D ratio and various indices of body composition in Chuvashian males and females. The study sample included 802 males (mean age 46.98±17.10 years) and 783 females (mean age 48.65±16.62 years). Single plain radiographs of both hands were taken. Each hand was classifi ed according to whether the index fi nger was longer (Type 1), equal to (Type 2) or shorter than the ring fi nger (Type 3) by visual comparison of the soft tissue outline of the fi nger ends on the radiograph. Anthropometry, including body weight, stature, and six circumferences from the body trunk and extremities were taken from each participant. We found no evidence of substantial associations between visually assessed fi nger length ratio and adult BMI, WC, hip and chest circumferences, WHT and WCR for men and women. These results suggest that associations between fi nger length ratio and hormone-related diseases and disorders can be interpreted directly, independent of any mediating effects of adult body composition parameters.