Does neuroticism make you old?: Prospective associations between neuroticism and leukocyte telomere length

S L van Ockenburg; P de Jonge; P van der Harst; J Ormel; J G M Rosmalen

doi:10.1017/S0033291713001657

Does neuroticism make you old? Prospective associations between neuroticism and leukocyte telomere length

S L van Ockenburg, P de Jonge, P van der Harst, J Ormel, J G M Rosmalen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telomere attrition, causing accelerated aging, might be one of the mechanisms through which neuroticism leads to somatic disease and increased all-cause mortality. In the current study we investigated whether neuroticism is prospectively associated with shorter telomere length (TL), a biological marker of aging.

METHOD: Participants were 3432 adults (mean age 52.9 years, range 32-79). Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Neuroticism was assessed using the 12-item neuroticism scale of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) at T2 and T3. TL was measured by a monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at T1, T2 and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess whether neuroticism could predict TL prospectively after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), frequency of sports, smoking status, presence of chronic diseases and level of education.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was a significant negative predictor of TL at follow-up (B = -0.004, p = 0.044) after adjusting for sex, age, baseline TL and various biological and lifestyle factors.

CONCLUSIONS: High neuroticism is significantly and prospectively associated with telomere attrition independent of lifestyle and other risk factors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	723-9
Number of pages	7
Journal	Psychological medicine
Volume	44
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291713001657
Publication status	Published - Mar 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Adult
Aged
Anxiety Disorders/complications
Cellular Senescence/physiology
Female
Humans
Leukocytes/metabolism
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Neuroticism
Prospective Studies
Telomere/metabolism
Telomere Shortening/physiology

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10.1017/S0033291713001657

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title = "Does neuroticism make you old?: Prospective associations between neuroticism and leukocyte telomere length",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Telomere attrition, causing accelerated aging, might be one of the mechanisms through which neuroticism leads to somatic disease and increased all-cause mortality. In the current study we investigated whether neuroticism is prospectively associated with shorter telomere length (TL), a biological marker of aging.METHOD: Participants were 3432 adults (mean age 52.9 years, range 32-79). Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Neuroticism was assessed using the 12-item neuroticism scale of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) at T2 and T3. TL was measured by a monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at T1, T2 and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess whether neuroticism could predict TL prospectively after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), frequency of sports, smoking status, presence of chronic diseases and level of education.RESULTS: Neuroticism was a significant negative predictor of TL at follow-up (B = -0.004, p = 0.044) after adjusting for sex, age, baseline TL and various biological and lifestyle factors.CONCLUSIONS: High neuroticism is significantly and prospectively associated with telomere attrition independent of lifestyle and other risk factors.",

keywords = "Adult, Aged, Anxiety Disorders/complications, Cellular Senescence/physiology, Female, Humans, Leukocytes/metabolism, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction, Neuroticism, Prospective Studies, Telomere/metabolism, Telomere Shortening/physiology",

author = "{van Ockenburg}, {S L} and {de Jonge}, P and {van der Harst}, P and J Ormel and Rosmalen, {J G M}",

year = "2014",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1017/S0033291713001657",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

pages = "723--9",

journal = "Psychological medicine",

issn = "0033-2917",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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T1 - Does neuroticism make you old?

T2 - Prospective associations between neuroticism and leukocyte telomere length

AU - van Ockenburg, S L

AU - de Jonge, P

AU - van der Harst, P

AU - Ormel, J

AU - Rosmalen, J G M

PY - 2014/3

Y1 - 2014/3

N2 - BACKGROUND: Telomere attrition, causing accelerated aging, might be one of the mechanisms through which neuroticism leads to somatic disease and increased all-cause mortality. In the current study we investigated whether neuroticism is prospectively associated with shorter telomere length (TL), a biological marker of aging.METHOD: Participants were 3432 adults (mean age 52.9 years, range 32-79). Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Neuroticism was assessed using the 12-item neuroticism scale of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) at T2 and T3. TL was measured by a monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at T1, T2 and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess whether neuroticism could predict TL prospectively after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), frequency of sports, smoking status, presence of chronic diseases and level of education.RESULTS: Neuroticism was a significant negative predictor of TL at follow-up (B = -0.004, p = 0.044) after adjusting for sex, age, baseline TL and various biological and lifestyle factors.CONCLUSIONS: High neuroticism is significantly and prospectively associated with telomere attrition independent of lifestyle and other risk factors.

AB - BACKGROUND: Telomere attrition, causing accelerated aging, might be one of the mechanisms through which neuroticism leads to somatic disease and increased all-cause mortality. In the current study we investigated whether neuroticism is prospectively associated with shorter telomere length (TL), a biological marker of aging.METHOD: Participants were 3432 adults (mean age 52.9 years, range 32-79). Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Neuroticism was assessed using the 12-item neuroticism scale of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) at T2 and T3. TL was measured by a monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at T1, T2 and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess whether neuroticism could predict TL prospectively after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), frequency of sports, smoking status, presence of chronic diseases and level of education.RESULTS: Neuroticism was a significant negative predictor of TL at follow-up (B = -0.004, p = 0.044) after adjusting for sex, age, baseline TL and various biological and lifestyle factors.CONCLUSIONS: High neuroticism is significantly and prospectively associated with telomere attrition independent of lifestyle and other risk factors.

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Anxiety Disorders/complications

KW - Cellular Senescence/physiology

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Leukocytes/metabolism

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Models, Psychological

KW - Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

KW - Neuroticism

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Telomere/metabolism

KW - Telomere Shortening/physiology

U2 - 10.1017/S0033291713001657

DO - 10.1017/S0033291713001657

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SN - 0033-2917

VL - 44

SP - 723

EP - 729

JO - Psychological medicine

JF - Psychological medicine

IS - 4

ER -

Does neuroticism make you old? Prospective associations between neuroticism and leukocyte telomere length

Abstract

Keywords

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