Cloninger's temperament traits and preclinical atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

ObjectiveCloninger's psychobiological model of temperament has recently raised interest as a risk factor for CHD. However, there are no studies that have examined the associations of Cloninger's temperament traits with atherosclerosis.MethodsThe subjects were 398 men and 657 women (mean age 31.7 years) participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the cross-sectional associations between temperament traits and preclinical atherosclerosis. Preclinical atherosclerosis was measured with carotid intima-media thickness ultrasound.ResultsHigher novelty seeking (NS) and reward dependence (RD) and lower harm avoidance (HA) were associated with preclinical atherosclerosis. In NS and RD, associations remained significant after adjustments for various risk factors. The effect sizes of these associations were comparable to those of traditional risk factors of coronary heart disease, which is a major finding. No association for persistence (P) was found.ConclusionsThe present findings imply that examining a wider range of temperament and personality factors may offer new information that can help in explaining the between-individual variation in atherosclerosis and CHD morbidity.