The associations of hostility and defensiveness with telomere length are influenced by sex and health status

Abstract

Background Shorter telomere length (TL) may indicate premature cellular aging and increased risk for disease. While there is substantial evidence for shorter TL in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders, data is scarce on maladaptive personality traits related to coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of TL with hostility and defensiveness in individuals with CAD or other non-cardiovascular illnesses and whether associations were moderated by CAD status and sex. Methods One thousand thirty-six individuals (Mage = 65.40 ± 6.73 years) with and without CAD completed the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and the Cook–Medley Hostility Scale. Relative TL was measured via quantitative polymerase chain reaction of total genomic DNA samples. Analyses involved hierarchical regressions on TL, performed separately for hostility and defensiveness, controlling for pertinent sociodemographic, behavioural, and medical risk factors. Separate analyses were performed on 25 healthy participants. Results A hostility by sex interaction emerged (β = − .08, p = .006) in the patient groups, where greater hostility was associated with shorter TL in women only (p < .01). A Defensiveness by CAD status interaction (β = − .06, p = .049) revealed longer TL in more defensive CAD patients only (p = .06). In healthy men, shorter TL was observed in those with greater defensiveness (β = .52, p = .006) but lower hostility (β = − .43, p = .049). Conclusion Hostility and defensiveness are differentially associated with TL as a function of sex and health status. The implication of these results for health remains to be determined, but propose an additional pathway through which the effect of maladaptive personality traits may contribute to CV and other disease.

Leukocyte Telomere Length as a Molecular Biomarker of Coronary Heart Disease

“…Starnino et al [ 61 ] found that patients with stable CAD had a shorter LTL compared with healthy volunteers and people without CVD ( p -value < 0.001).…”

“…We demonstrated that in studies of the mean relative LTL in young, middle-aged, and elderly adults, the value of this molecular biomarker decreases not only in relation to the physiological biological aging of the human body but also in relation to the premature development of stable CAD [ 64 ] and the early development of AMI [ 60 ]. At the same time, the most convincing results were obtained in studies of relative LTL in middle-aged and elderly patients with stable CAD [ 55 , 58 , 59 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. It seems important from a practical point of view because patients with stable CAD and with shortened relative LTL can have unfavorable prognoses concerning general mortality [ 75 ].…”

Childhood Maltreatment and Leukocyte Telomere Length: Cardiac Vagal Activity Influences the Relation in Older Adults

“…Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to measure LTL using the modified method (75) of the protocol described by Cawthon (76) as previously reported in Starnino et al (77). This method is based on determining the number of telomere DNA sequences (T) on the number of copies of a control gene (RPLP0, 60S acidic ribosomal protein P0) (S).…”

Childhood maltreatment and leukocyte telomere length in men and women with chronic illness: an evaluation of moderating and mediating influences

“…Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to measure TL, using the modified method (Epel et al, 2004 ) of the protocol described by Cawthon ( 2002 ) as previously reported in Starnino et al ( 2021 ). This method is based on determining the number of telomere DNA sequences ( T ) on the number of copies of a control gene (RPLP0, 60S acidic ribosomal protein P0) ( S ).…”