Fingertips Said to Hold Clue to Blood Pressure

People whose fingerprints are mostly whorls are more likely to develop high blood pressure than those with arches and loops, researchers reported Saturday.

“The greater the number of fingers with whorls, the higher (is) the systolic blood pressure,” Dr. David Barker, Dr. Keith Godfrey and three colleagues reported in an article in the Aug. 14 issue of the British Medical Journal.

The team studied fingerprints as a measure of early development. It also reported that long, narrow hands are an indication of raised blood pressure.

The study was undertaken to confirm a theory that high blood pressure can be traced to development of the fetus in the womb.