title: Associations between the five-factor model of personality and leukocyte telomere length in elderly men and women: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Personality traits have been associated with cardiometabolic diseases and mental disorders as well as with longevity. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Accelerated cellular aging may play a role in this process. We studied whether personality traits in late adulthood, as defined in the five-factor model (FFM), were associated with a biomarker of cellular vitality, leukocyte telomere length (LTL).
  
  
  METHODS
  At a mean age of 63.4 (SD=2.8) years, 1671 (742 men, 929 women) participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study filled in the Neuroticism, Extraversion and Openness Personality Inventory (NEO-PI). LTL was measured at a mean age of 61.5 (SD=2.9) years by using a real-time quantitative PCR method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the FFM personality dimensions were significantly associated with the LTL in the analyses of both sexes combined. We however found interaction between sex and agreeableness (B=0.020, 95% CI=.008, 0.032, p=.001) and in the sex-specific analyses, men who scored higher on agreeableness (B=-0.086, 95% CI=-0.155, -0.016, p=.016) and women who scored lower on agreeableness (B=0.074, 95% CI=0.014, 0.134, p=.016) had shorter LTL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FFM dimensions of personality were not associated with LTL in a sample of elderly individuals. The counterintuitive and sporadic sex specific finding on agreeableness requires replication. Overall our findings suggest that LTL, a biomarker of cellular aging, may not offer insight into the associations between personality, longevity and health.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Prevention Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institution for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland; Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University of Central Hospital, Finland; Vasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland; Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Prevention Unit, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institution for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University of Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: anukatriina.pesonen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Anu-Katriina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pesonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Räikkönen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D010555:Personality Inventory; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis
keywords: Cellular aging; Cohort; Health; Personality; Telomere