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Published on: November 24, 2020
Cholesterol, triglycerides, and the Five-Factor Model of personality
Angelina R Sutin1, Antonio Terracciano, Barbara Deiana
1National Institute on Aging, NIH, DHHS, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. sutina@mail.nih.gov
Biological Psychology
|January 30, 2010
Summary
Certain personality traits, like low conscientiousness and impulsivity, are linked to unhealthy lipid levels, increasing coronary heart disease risk. Trait depression also affects HDL cholesterol, particularly in women.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Unhealthy lipid profiles are significant controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease.
- Dyslipidemia poses a major public health challenge, necessitating identification of its contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between personality traits and dyslipidemia.
- To identify psychological factors correlating with cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Main Methods:
- A community-based sample of 5532 individuals from Sardinia, Italy, underwent assessment of lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglycerides).
- Participants completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) to measure personality traits.
- Statistical analyses controlled for demographic and clinical variables including age, sex, BMI, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and diabetes.
Main Results:
- Low Conscientiousness and impulsivity traits were associated with lower HDL cholesterol and higher triglycerides.
- Individuals in the top 10% for Impulsivity had a 2.5 times greater risk of elevated triglycerides compared to the lowest 10%.
- Trait depression, a facet of Neuroticism, was linked to lower HDL cholesterol in women, but not in men, indicating a sex-moderated effect.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits are associated with unhealthy lipid profiles, suggesting a potential intermediate role in the pathway from personality to cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding these psychological correlates of dyslipidemia can inform targeted health interventions.
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