title: Neuroticism personality trait is associated with Quality of Life in patients with Chronic Heart Failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate Quality of life (QoL) in chronic heart failure (CHF) in relation to Neuroticism personality trait and CHF severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty six consecutive, outpatients with Chronic Heart Failure (6 females and 30 males, mean age: 54 ± 12 years), with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 45% at optimal medical treatment at the time of inclusion, were asked to answer the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) for Quality of Life assessment and the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory for personality assessment. All patients underwent a symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle-ergometer, in order to access CHF severity. A multivariate linear regression analysis using simultaneous entry of predictors was performed to examine which of the CHF variables and of the personality variables were correlated independently to QoL scores in the two summary scales of the KCCQ, namely the Overall Summary Scale and the Clinical Summary Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Neuroticism personality trait score had a significant inverse correlation with the Clinical Summary Score and Overall Summary Score of the KCCQ (r = -0.621, P < 0.05 and r = -0.543, P < 0.001, respectively). KCCQ summary scales did not show significant correlations with the personality traits of Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. Multivariate linear regression analysis using simultaneous entry of predictors was also conducted to determine the best linear combination of statistically significant univariate predictors such as Neuroticism, VE/VCO2 slope and VO2 peak, for predicting KCCQ Clinical Summary Score. The results show Neuroticism (β = -0.37, P < 0.05), VE/VCO2 slope (β = -0.31, P < 0.05) and VO2 peak (β = 0.37, P < 0.05) to be independent predictors of QoL. In multivariate regression analysis Neuroticism (b = -0.37, P < 0.05), the slope of ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide output during exercise, (VE/VCO2 slope) (b = -0.31, P < 0.05) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), (b = 0.37, P < 0.05) were independent predictors of QoL (adjusted R2 = 0.64; F = 18.89, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroticism is independently associated with QoL in CHF. QoL in CHF is not only determined by disease severity but also by the Neuroticism personality trait.
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Lampros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Samartzis
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manetos
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Varvara
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Agapitou
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tasoulis
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tseliou
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Iraklis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pozios
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaldara
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terrovitis
authors.affiliation: Lampros Samartzis, St. George's University of London Medical School at University of Nicosia, 2408 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Serafim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nanas
keywords: Chronic heart failure; Five-Factor Personality Inventory; Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; Quality of Life