If the Ring Finger Is Longer Than the Index Finger... You Can Tell If Someone Is a Drinker by Finger Length

Research Results on the Relationship Between Finger Length and Drinking Habits
If the Ring Finger Is Longer Than the Index Finger, Alcohol Consumption Is Higher

A study has attracted attention by revealing that people with longer ring fingers compared to index fingers are more likely to consume alcohol heavily.

On the 26th (local time), Swansea University in the UK announced that such research results were published in the American Journal of Human Biology.

A joint research team from Swansea University in the UK and the Medical University of Ł?d? in Poland conducted a study analyzing the correlation between finger length and drinking habits among 258 university students (169 female and 89 male students).

The research team first measured the participants' finger lengths using calipers and assessed their drinking levels using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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The study found that participants with longer ring fingers relative to their index fingers consumed more alcohol and had higher AUDIT scores. This correlation was more pronounced in the right hand than in the left.

Professor John Manning of Swansea University stated, "Alcohol-dependent patients tend to have index fingers significantly shorter than their ring fingers," adding, "This indicates lower exposure to estrogen relative to testosterone during the fetal period."

The correlation was stronger in males. Forty-six percent of male participants fell into the 'low category,' while 75% of female participants were included. The 'risk of alcohol addiction' was 7% for males and 1% for females.

Similar research has been conducted domestically in the past. In 2016, Professor Han Chang-woo's team at Gangnam Eulji Hospital analyzed 87 male patients admitted to the Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center and found with 99% confidence that the ratio of index finger to ring finger length (index finger length divided by ring finger length) in alcohol-dependent patients was lower than that of the general population.

At that time, Professor Han explained, "Testosterone exposure during the fetal period affects ring finger length, which is also related to alcohol dependence."

However, the researchers emphasized that "various factors such as genetics and environment must also be considered."