Sex and sex hormones play a major role in lung physiology. It has been proposed that the ratio of the second to fourth digits (digit ratio)
is correlated with fetal sex hormones. We therefore hypothesized that digit ratio might help predict lung function. We investigated
the relationship between digit ratio and pulmonary function test (PFT) fi ndings. A total of 245 South Korean patients (162 male,
83 female) aged from 34 to 90 years who were hospitalized for urological surgery were prospectively enrolled. Before administering
the PFTs, the lengths of the second and fourth digits of the right hand were measured by a single investigator using a digital
Vernier caliper. In males (n = 162), univariate and multivariate analysis using linear regression models showed that digit ratio
was a signifi cant predictive factor of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (FVC: r = 0.156,
P = 0.047; FEV1: r = 0.160, P = 0.042). In male ever-smokers (n = 69), lung functions (FVC and FEV1) were correlated with
smoking exposure rather than digit ratio. In female never-smokers (n = 83), lung functions (FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio) were positively
correlated with digit ratio on univariate analysis (FEV1: r = 0.242, P = 0.027; FEV1/FVC ratio: r = 0.245, P = 0.026). Patients
with lower digit ratios tend to have decreased lung function. These results suggest that digit ratio is a predictor of airway function.

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