title: Pessimistic orientation in relation to telomere length in older men: the VA normative aging study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent research suggests pessimistic orientation is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL). However, this is the first study to look not only at effects of pessimistic orientation on average LTL at multiple time points, but also at effects on the rate of change in LTL over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were older men from the VA Normative Aging Study (n=490). The life orientation test (LOT) was used to measure optimistic and pessimistic orientations at study baseline, and relative LTL by telomere to single copy gene ratio (T:S ratio) was obtained repeatedly over the course of the study (1999-2008). A total of 1010 observations were included in the analysis. Linear mixed effect models with a random subject intercept were used to estimate associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher pessimistic orientation scores were associated with shorter average LTL (percent difference by 1-SD increase in pessimistic orientation (95% CI): -3.08 (-5.62, -0.46)), and the finding was maintained after adjusting for the higher likelihood that healthier individuals return for follow-up visits (-3.44 (-5.95, -0.86)). However, pessimistic orientation scores were not associated with rate of change in LTL over time. No associations were found between overall optimism and optimistic orientation subscale scores and LTL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher pessimistic orientation scores were associated with shorter LTL in older men. While there was no evidence that pessimistic orientation was associated with rate of change in LTL over time, higher levels of pessimistic orientation were associated with shorter LTL at baseline and this association persisted over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Junenette L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Baccarelli
authors.affiliation: Center of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, IRCCS (Istituo Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Maggiore Hospital, Milan, Italy; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.affiliation: Center of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, IRCCS (Istituo Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Maggiore Hospital, Milan, Italy; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dioni
authors.affiliation: VA Normative Aging Study, VA Boston Healthcare System, Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Avron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiro
authors.affiliation: VA Normative Aging Study, VA Boston Healthcare System, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sparrow
authors.affiliation: VA Normative Aging Study, VA Boston Healthcare System, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Pantel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vokonas
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: lkubzans@hsph.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Laura D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Kubzansky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D016615:Telomere / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Optimism; Pessimism; Telomere length