Metabolomics profiling of Type D personality traits

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular research
• Metabolomics
• Personality psychology

Background:

• Type D personality, characterized by negative affectivity and social inhibition, is linked to cardiometabolic disease risk.
• Lipid metabolites play a crucial role in cardiovascular health and disease development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between Type D personality traits (negative affectivity and social inhibition) and a comprehensive panel of lipid metabolites.
• To identify specific lipid biomarkers that may be influenced by Type D personality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from four Dutch cohorts (N=10,834) with Type D personality assessed via questionnaires.
• Employed a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics platform to measure 149 absolute lipid metabolites and 81 derived ratios.
• Conducted linear regression analyses within cohorts and random-effects meta-analyses, with a significance threshold of FDR q-value < 0.05.

Main Results:

• Social inhibition (SI) showed a significant association with a reduced ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to total fatty acids (FAw3.FA%).
• SI was also linked to a lower free cholesterol to total lipids ratio in very small VLDL particles (XS.VLDL.FC%).
• Negative affectivity (NA) showed suggestive associations with previously reported metabolites linked to depression, including triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol, though not reaching study-wide significance.

Conclusions:

• Social inhibition is associated with altered omega-3 fatty acid metabolism, potentially indicating lower dietary intake.
• The study found limited evidence for major alterations in lipid metabolism directly associated with Type D personality traits overall.
• Further research is needed to clarify the complex interplay between personality, lipid profiles, and cardiometabolic health.