Your Personality may Say Much about Your Health
Dr. Michael Omidi discusses the results of a new study which links personality traits to the
expression of pro-inflammatory gene.
The type of person you are may reveal a lot about your health. Don’t be surprised if your doctor
starts asking you questions about yourself. Do you like to party? How do you feel in large
groups? Are you a risk taker? Answers to questions like these may help your doctor create a
more comprehensive plan for your health.
A recent study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology involved 121 participants
taking personality tests and having their blood tested for the expression of genes related to
inflammation. It focused on 5 major human personality characteristics in order to understand
their relationship with the immune system.
More social, more healthy?
The study was not designed to find disease-prone personalities, and did not find any. However,
there was evidence to suggest a propensity for socializing was associated with having a more
protective and proactive immune system.
The 5 traits measured in the test are extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and
conscientiousness. Each characteristic was measured in degrees from one end to the other. The
team also noted participant’s habits concerning exercise, drinking and smoking for control
purposes.
Their results indicated extraversion was significantly associated with increased expression of
pro-inflammatory genes and that ‘conscientiousness’ was associated with a reduced expression
of those genes. It seems individuals who possess characteristics more likely to make them
exposed to infections as a result of their extraversion have immune systems better equipped to
deal with infections. Those who may be cautious and thus exposed to fewer infections tend to
have immune systems that will respond less well.
What does this mean for me?
Researchers weren’t able to tell biology is determining our psychology or if our psychology is
determining our biology. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. With additional research,
we may learn more.
You may be able to tell a lot about your immune system from your personality. If doctors learn
how to use this information well, it could change the way we are treated, both personally and
medically.
The Omidi Brothers, Michael Omidi and Julian Omidi, are co-founders of several charities and
proponents of human health.