title: Delay discounting, genetic sensitivity, and leukocyte telomere length.
abstract: In a graying world, there is an increasing interest in correlates of aging, especially those found in early life. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is an emerging marker of aging at the cellular level, but little is known regarding its link with poor decision making that often entails being overly impatient. Here we investigate the relationship between LTL and the degree of impatience, which is measured in the laboratory using an incentivized delay discounting task. In a sample of 1,158 Han Chinese undergraduates, we observe that steeper delay discounting, indexing higher degree of impatience, is negatively associated with LTL. The relationship is robust after controlling for health-related variables, as well as risk attitude-another important determinant of decision making. LTL in females is more sensitive to impatience than in males. We then asked if genes possibly modulate the effect of impatient behavior on LTL. The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism rs53576, which has figured prominently in investigations of social cognition and psychological resources, and the estrogen receptor β gene (ESR2) polymorphism rs2978381, one of two gonadal sex hormone genes, significantly mitigate the negative effect of impatience on cellular aging in females. The current results contribute to understanding the relationship between preferences in decision making, particularly impatience, and cellular aging, for the first time to our knowledge. Notably, oxytocin and estrogen receptor polymorphisms temper accelerated cellular aging in young females who tend to make impatient choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570; Human Genetics Lab, Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228;
authors.forename: Onn-Siong
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Singapore-ETH Center for Global Environmental Sustainability, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Singapore 138602; rpebstein@gmail.com zhangxingis@gmail.com chew.soohong@gmail.com poh_san_lai@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802;
authors.forename: Idan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shalev
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570;
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monakhov
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570;
authors.forename: Songfa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570; rpebstein@gmail.com zhangxingis@gmail.com chew.soohong@gmail.com poh_san_lai@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Soo Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.affiliation: Human Genetics Lab, Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228; rpebstein@gmail.com zhangxingis@gmail.com chew.soohong@gmail.com poh_san_lai@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Poh San
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570; rpebstein@gmail.com zhangxingis@gmail.com chew.soohong@gmail.com poh_san_lai@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ebstein
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics; D065786:Delay Discounting; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C000600034:ESR2 protein, human; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin
keywords: delay discounting; estrogen receptor; oxytocin receptor; risk attitude; telomere length