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SAN FRANCISCO – Why are anxiety disorders twice as prevalent in women as in men? As in Hawaiian hula dancing, the expressive hands may tell the tale.
The ratio of the length of the index finger to ring finger – known as the 2D:4D ratio – is a physical trait that remains stable across the lifetimes of males and females. It’s also a reliable indicator of prenatal exposure to androgens. In female college students, the higher the 2D:4D ratio, the greater their level of ruminative thinking, which is known to be both a risk factor and maintenance factor for anxiety, Ellie Shuo Jin reported at the annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
The findings shed new light on the relationship between testosterone and anxiety disorders, according to Ms. Jin, a doctoral student at the University of Texas, Austin. The hormone previously has been linked to reduced levels of anxiety, an observation consistent with the lower prevalence of anxiety disorders in men. However, it has been unclear whether prenatal exposure to testosterone, which encourages organizational effects, or the activational effects of postnatal exposure to the hormone is most protective against anxiety disorders.
Ms. Jin found that prenatal testosterone exposure as reflected in a low 2D:4D ratio was associated with a lower level of repetitive negative thinking as measured using the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire but only in the female students.
She reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding her study.
SAN FRANCISCO – Why are anxiety disorders twice as prevalent in women as in men? As in Hawaiian hula dancing, the expressive hands may tell the tale.
The ratio of the length of the index finger to ring finger – known as the 2D:4D ratio – is a physical trait that remains stable across the lifetimes of males and females. It’s also a reliable indicator of prenatal exposure to androgens. In female college students, the higher the 2D:4D ratio, the greater their level of ruminative thinking, which is known to be both a risk factor and maintenance factor for anxiety, Ellie Shuo Jin reported at the annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
The findings shed new light on the relationship between testosterone and anxiety disorders, according to Ms. Jin, a doctoral student at the University of Texas, Austin. The hormone previously has been linked to reduced levels of anxiety, an observation consistent with the lower prevalence of anxiety disorders in men. However, it has been unclear whether prenatal exposure to testosterone, which encourages organizational effects, or the activational effects of postnatal exposure to the hormone is most protective against anxiety disorders.
Ms. Jin found that prenatal testosterone exposure as reflected in a low 2D:4D ratio was associated with a lower level of repetitive negative thinking as measured using the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire but only in the female students.
She reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding her study.
SAN FRANCISCO – Why are anxiety disorders twice as prevalent in women as in men? As in Hawaiian hula dancing, the expressive hands may tell the tale.
The ratio of the length of the index finger to ring finger – known as the 2D:4D ratio – is a physical trait that remains stable across the lifetimes of males and females. It’s also a reliable indicator of prenatal exposure to androgens. In female college students, the higher the 2D:4D ratio, the greater their level of ruminative thinking, which is known to be both a risk factor and maintenance factor for anxiety, Ellie Shuo Jin reported at the annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
The findings shed new light on the relationship between testosterone and anxiety disorders, according to Ms. Jin, a doctoral student at the University of Texas, Austin. The hormone previously has been linked to reduced levels of anxiety, an observation consistent with the lower prevalence of anxiety disorders in men. However, it has been unclear whether prenatal exposure to testosterone, which encourages organizational effects, or the activational effects of postnatal exposure to the hormone is most protective against anxiety disorders.
Ms. Jin found that prenatal testosterone exposure as reflected in a low 2D:4D ratio was associated with a lower level of repetitive negative thinking as measured using the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire but only in the female students.
She reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding her study.
AT THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION CONFERENCE 2017
Key clinical point:
Major finding: The higher the ratio of the length of the index finger to the ring finger on the left hand, the greater the predisposition to repetitive negative thinking in women but not in men.
Data source: This cross-sectional study correlated the 2D:4D digit ratio to levels of repetitive negative thinking in 103 college students.
Disclosures: The presenter reported having no financial conflicts regarding her study.