Cross-national gender variations of digit ratio (2D:4D) correlate with life expectancy, suicide rate, and other causes of death

Lenz B, Kornhuber J (2018)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Book Volume: 125

Pages Range: 239-246

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1815-7

Abstract

The second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) is an indication of prenatal sex hormone exposure, and has sex-specifically been associated with several lethal illnesses including ischemic heart disease, diverse cancers, and suicide. Our primary aim was to verify that 2D:4D sex-specifically relates to life expectancy and suicide numbers on a national level (23 countries). We also used a hypothesis-free approach to investigate associations with other causes of death [p value adjustment for multiple hypothesis testing using the false discovery rate procedure (FDR)]. All parameters were normalized to the national mean (of males and females) and analyzed across nations. Normalized male 2D:4D correlated positively with normalized male life expectancy (at birth, r = 0.46, p = 0.029; at the age of 60, r = 0.44, p = 0.038) and negatively with normalized male suicide rates (r = - 0.49, p = 0.017). In the exploratory analyses, the normalized male 2D:4D values were negatively associated with the normalized male deaths rates from communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions [r = - 0.65, p(FDR) = 0.011], respiratory infections [r = - 0.69, p(FDR) = 0.008], asthma [r = - 0.65, p(FDR) = 0.011], neurological conditions [r = - 0.56, p(FDR) = 0.046], and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias [r = - 0.59, p(FDR) = 0.036]. The normalized female parameters showed the same cross-national correlations. In line with the previous individual level findings, the results suggest that prenatal sex hormone effects are sex-specifically involved in suicide and neurological conditions. Moreover, we provide novel national level evidence that prenatal sex hormone priming may sex-specifically influence life expectancy and death risk from respiratory diseases.

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How to cite

APA:

Lenz, B., & Kornhuber, J. (2018). Cross-national gender variations of digit ratio (2D:4D) correlate with life expectancy, suicide rate, and other causes of death. Journal of Neural Transmission, 125(2), 239-246. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00702-017-1815-7

MLA:

Lenz, Bernd, and Johannes Kornhuber. "Cross-national gender variations of digit ratio (2D:4D) correlate with life expectancy, suicide rate, and other causes of death." Journal of Neural Transmission 125.2 (2018): 239-246.

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