Advanced Biomedical Research
Is there any association of personality traits with vascular endothelial function or systemic inflammation?
Authors
- Reza Bagherian Sararoudi 1
- Gholam Reza Kheirabadi 1
- Marjan Kousha 1
- Fateme Toghani 1
- Mohammad Hashemi 2
- Mohammad Reza Maracy 3
1 Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 Department of Epidemiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Evidences showed association of some personality traits with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, but mediated mechanisms are not entirely described. In this study, we investigated the association of different personality traits with systemic inflammation and endothelial function as probable mediators.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 on 40-60 years old employees of an industrial company located in Isfahan city (central Iran). Participants were selected through simple random sampling. Personality types were evaluated using the neuroticism-extroversion-openness personality inventory and systemic inflammatory status was determined with high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level. To evaluate endothelial function flow mediated dilation (FMD) were measured. The obtained data were analyzed with univariate correlation and multiple linear regression tests.
Results: A total of 254 cases with mean age of 51.4 ± 6.1 years were evaluated. There was no significant relationship between hs-CRP level and FMD with the personality traits in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, no association was found between the scores of personality traits and FMD with controlling the factors such as age, body mass index dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes. Only there was an inverse association between conscientiousness score and hs-CRP (β = −0.241, P = 0.013).
Conclusions: In our population who were the employees of an industrial company, no relationship was found between specific personality trait and endothelial dysfunction. However, we found that the personality trait of responsibility (conscientiousness) is negatively associated with inflammation. Further multi-center studies and also cohort studies are recommended in this regard.
Keywords
| 1. |
Player MS, Peterson LE. Anxiety disorders, hypertension, and cardiovascular risk: A review. Int J Psychiatry Med 2011;41:365-77.  |
| 2. |
Proietti R, Mapelli D, Volpe B, Bartoletti S, Sagone A, Dal Bianco L, et al. Mental stress and ischemic heart disease: Evolving awareness of a complex association. Future Cardiol 2011;7:425-37. |
| 3. |
O'Dell KR, Masters KS, Spielmans GI, Maisto SA. Does type-D personality predict outcomes among patients with cardiovascular disease? A meta-analytic review. J Psychosom Res 2011;71:199-206. |
| 4. |
Denollet J, Schiffer AA, Spek V. A general propensity to psychological distress affects cardiovascular outcomes: Evidence from research on the type D (distressed) personality profile. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2010;3:546-57. |
| 5. |
Beutel ME, Wiltink J, Till Y, Wild PS, Münzel T, Ojeda FM, et al. Type D personality as a cardiovascular risk marker in the general population: Results from the Gutenberg health study. Psychother Psychosom 2012;81:108-17. |
| 6. |
Bagherian Sararoodi R. Type D penonality. J Res Behav Sci 2009;7:75-86. |
| 7. |
Marazziti D, Ambrogi F, Abelli M, Di Nasso E, Catena M, Massimetti G, et al. Lymphocyte subsets, cardiovascular measures and anxiety state before and after a professional examination. Stress 2007;10:93-9. |
| 8. |
Zozulya AA, Gabaeva MV, Sokolov OY, Surkina ID, Kost NV. Personality, coping style, and constitutional neuroimmunology. J Immunotoxicol 2008;5:221-5. |
| 9. |
Bouhuys AL, Flentge F, Oldehinkel AJ, van den Berg MD. Potential psychosocial mechanisms linking depression to immune function in elderly subjects. Psychiatry Res 2004;127:237-45. |
| 10. |
Henningsson S, Baghaei F, Rosmond R, Holm G, Landén M, Anckarsäter H, et al. Association between serum levels of C-reactive protein and personality traits in women. Behav Brain Funct 2008;4:16. |
| 11. |
Chirinos JA, Zambrano JP, Chakko S, Schob A, Veerani A, Perez GO, et al. Usefulness of C-reactive protein as an independent predictor of death in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol 2005;95:88-90. |
| 12. |
Sesso HD, Buring JE, Rifai N, Blake GJ, Gaziano JM, Ridker PM. C-reactive protein and the risk of developing hypertension. JAMA 2003;290:2945-51. |
| 13. |
Teper E, O'Brien JT. Vascular factors and depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008;23:993-1000. |
| 14. |
Lin TK, Weng CY, Wang WC, Chen CC, Lin IM, Lin CL. Hostility trait and vascular dilatory functions in healthy Taiwanese. J Behav Med 2008;31:517-24. |
| 15. |
Narita K, Murata T, Hamada T, Takahashi T, Omori M, Suganuma N, et al. Interactions among higher trait anxiety, sympathetic activity, and endothelial function in the elderly. J Psychiatr Res 2007;41:418-27. |
| 16. |
Schott LL, Kamarck TW, Matthews KA, Brockwell SE, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Is brachial artery flow-mediated dilation associated with negative affect? Int J Behav Med 2009;16:241-7. |
| 17. |
Gottdiener JS, Kop WJ, Hausner E, McCeney MK, Herrington D, Krantz DS. Effects of mental stress on flow-mediated brachial arterial dilation and influence of behavioral factors and hypercholesterolemia in subjects without cardiovascular disease. Am J Cardiol 2003;92:687-91. |
| 18. |
Bleil ME, McCaffery JM, Muldoon MF, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Manuck SB. Anger-related personality traits and carotid artery atherosclerosis in untreated hypertensive men. Psychosom Med 2004;66:633-9. |
| 19. |
Everson-Rose SA, Lewis TT, Karavolos K, Matthews KA, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Powell LH. Cynical hostility and carotid atherosclerosis in African American and white women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Heart Study. Am Heart J 2006;152:982.e7-13. |
| 20. |
Iribarren C, Sidney S, Bild DE, Liu K, Markovitz JH, Roseman JM, et al. Association of hostility with coronary artery calcification in young adults: The CARDIA study. Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults. JAMA 2000;283:2546-51. |
| 21. |
Matthews KA, Gump BB, Harris KF, Haney TL, Barefoot JC. Hostile behaviors predict cardiovascular mortality among men enrolled in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Circulation 2004;109:66-70. |
| 22. |
Williams JE, Nieto FJ, Sanford CP, Couper DJ, Tyroler HA. The association between trait anger and incident stroke risk: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Stroke 2002;33:13-9. |
| 23. |
Rantanen J, Metsäpelto RL, Feldt T, Pulkkinen L, Kokko K. Long-term stability in the Big Five personality traits in adulthood. Scand J Psychol 2007;48:511-8. |
| 24. |
Atari Y, Amanollahifard A, Mehrabizadeh Honarmand M. An invetigation of relationship between personality characteristics and family-personal factors and marital satisfaction in administrative office personnel in ahvaz. J Educ psychol 2006;13:81-108. |
| 25. |
Steiner M. Serotonin, depression, and cardiovascular disease: Sex-specific issues. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2011;203:253-8. |
| 26. |
Rozanski A, Blumenthal JA, Kaplan J. Impact of psychological factors on the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and implications for therapy. Circulation 1999;99:2192-217. |
| 27. |
von Känel R. Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular risk: Current opinion. Swiss Med Wkly 2012;142:w13502. |
| 28. |
Blume J, Douglas SD, Evans DL. Immune suppression and immune activation in depression. Brain Behav Immun 2011;25:221-9. |
| 29. |
Ho RC, Neo LF, Chua AN, Cheak AA, Mak A. Research on psychoneuroimmunology: Does stress influence immunity and cause coronary artery disease? Ann Acad Med Singapore 2010;39:191-6. |
| 30. |
Anisman H, Merali Z. Cytokines, stress and depressive illness: Brain-immune interactions. Ann Med 2003;35:2-11. |
| 31. |
Pfützner A, Schöndorf T, Hanefeld M, Forst T. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein predicts cardiovascular risk in diabetic and nondiabetic patients: Effects of insulin-sensitizing treatment with pioglitazone. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2010;4:706-16. |
| 32. |
Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Verma A, O'Keefe JH. C-reactive protein and cardiovascular diseases - Is it ready for primetime? Am J Med Sci 2009;338:486-92. |
| 33. |
Osman R, L'Allier PL, Elgharib N, Tardif JC. Critical appraisal of C-reactive protein throughout the spectrum of cardiovascular disease. Vasc Health Risk Manag 2006;2:221-37. |
| 34. |
Harris KF, Matthews KA, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH. Associations between psychological traits and endothelial function in postmenopausal women. Psychosom Med 2003;65:402-9. |
| 35. |
Greggersen W, Rudolf S, Brandt PW, Schulz E, Fassbinder E, Willenborg B, et al. Intima-media thickness in women with borderline personality disorder. Psychosom Med 2011;73:627-32. |
| 36. |
Hintsanen M, Pulkki-Råback L, Juonala M, Viikari JS, Raitakari OT, Keltikangas-Järvinen L. Cloninger›s temperament traits and preclinical atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. J Psychosom Res 2009;67:77-84. |
| 37. |
Van Craenenbroeck EM, Denollet J, Paelinck BP, Beckers P, Possemiers N, Hoymans VY, et al. Circulating CD34+/KDR+endothelial progenitor cells are reduced in chronic heart failure patients as a function of Type D personality. Clin Sci (Lond) 2009;117:165-72. |
| 38. |
Kahl KG, Bens S, Ziegler K, Rudolf S, Kordon A, Dibbelt L, et al. Angiogenic factors in patients with current major depressive disorder comorbid with borderline personality disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009;34:353-7. |
| 39. |
Son YJ, Song EK. The impact of type D personality and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein on health-related quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2012;11:304-12. |
| 40. |
Jonassaint CR, Boyle SH, Kuhn CM, Siegler IC, Copeland WE, Williams R. Personality and inflammation: The protective effect of openness to experience. Ethn Dis 2010;20:11-4. |
| 41. |
Mõttus R, Luciano M, Starr JM, Pollard MC, Deary IJ. Personality traits and inflammation in men and women in their early 70s: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study of healthy aging. Psychosom Med 2013;75:11-9. |
| 42. |
Sutin AR, Terracciano A, Deiana B, Naitza S, Ferrucci L, Uda M, et al. High neuroticism and low conscientiousness are associated with interleukin-6. Psychol Med 2010;40:1485-93. |
| 43. |
Howren MB, Lamkin DM, Suls J. Associations of depression with C-reactive protein, IL-1, and IL-6: A meta-analysis. Psychosom Med 2009;71:171-86. |
| 44. |
Gegenava T, Gegenava M, Kavtaradze G. C-reactive protein level correlation with depression and anxiety among patients with coronary artery disease. Georgian Med News 2011;34-7. |
| 45. |
Dogan E, Erkoc R, Eryonucu B, Sayarlioglu H, Agargun MY. Relation between depression, some laboratory parameters, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Ren Fail 2005;27:695-9. |
| 46. |
Preljevic VT, Østhus TB, Sandvik L, Bringager CB, Opjordsmoen S, Nordhus IH, et al. Psychiatric disorders, body mass index and C-reactive protein in dialysis patients. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2011;33:454-61. |
| 47. |
Menzies V, Lyon DE, Elswick RK Jr, Montpetit AJ, McCain NL. Psychoneuroimmunological relationships in women with fibromyalgia. Biol Res Nurs 2013;15:219-25. |
| 48. |
Liukkonen T, Räsänen P, Jokelainen J, Leinonen M, Järvelin MR, Meyer-Rochow VB, et al. The association between anxiety and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels: Results from the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study. Eur Psychiatry 2011;26:363-9. |
| 49. |
Al-Maskari M, Al-Shukaili A, Al-Mammari A. Pro-inflammatory cytokines in Omani type 2 diabetic patients presenting anxiety and depression. Iran J Immunol 2010;7:124-9. |
| 50. |
Zhang JM, Ma WL, Xu Y, Li MJ, Zhao MZ, Xing Y, et al. The relation between post-acute coronary syndrome anxiety and serum levels of inflammatory factors. Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi 2007;46:1022-4. |
| 51. |
Orre IJ, Reinertsen KV, Aukrust P, Dahl AA, Fosså SD, Ueland T, et al. Higher levels of fatigue are associated with higher CRP levels in disease-free breast cancer survivors. J Psychosom Res 2011;71:136-41. |
| 52. |
O'Donovan A, Hughes BM, Slavich GM, Lynch L, Cronin MT, O'Farrelly C, et al. Clinical anxiety, cortisol and interleukin-6: Evidence for specificity in emotion-biology relationships. Brain Behav Immun 2010;24:1074-7.
|
)