Finger length can be telling

London: The idea that the shape of your hands indicates something profound about your sexual proclivities, the films you like, your athletic ability and your prowess on the stock market seems bizarre.

And yet for many decades now, scientists have noticed an extraordinary link between the ratio of two digits on the hand the ring and index fingers, known in scientists' jargon as 2D and 4D and a whole host of seemingly unrelated traits.

Evidence is growing that this digit ratio, especially when applied to the right hand, is a fundamental indicator of sexuality, aggression and diseases suffered by men,

This week, for example, strong evidence has emerged of a link between the ‘2D:4D finger ratio' and a man's likelihood of developing prostate cancer.

Cancer

Specifically, men whose index fingers are longer than their ring fingers are significantly less likely to develop the disease, according to scientists at the Institute Of Cancer Research.

Working out your digit ratio is not simply a matter of looking at your hand and comparing the position of the tips of the fingers. You must measure the distance from the midpoint of the lowest crease at the base of the finger, on the palm side, to the very end of the fleshy tip (obviously the fingernail does not count!).

A long index finger also correlates strongly with a lower risk of early heart disease and, in women, a higher risk of breast cancer and greater fertility.

People with relatively long index fingers are also more likely to suffer from schizophrenia, allergies, eczema and hay fever. Young boys are more likely to be clingy and anxious than their low-ratio peers but also, ultimately, less attention-seeking and better behaved in school.

While a long index finger is considered a more feminine hand, men who have them are more likely to be homosexual, a short index finger relative to the ring finger is a more masculine hand.

It correlates with higher male fertility and sperm counts, higher levels of aggression and increased aptitude for both sport and music.