Psychological Profiles in the Prediction of Leukocyte Telomere Length in Healthy Individuals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Shorter telomere length (TL) may signal premature cellular aging and increased risk for disease. While depression and psychosocial stress have been associated with shorter telomeres, other psychological risk factors for cardiovascular disease have received less attention.

Purpose

To evaluate the association between TL and psychological risk factors (symptoms of anxiety and depression, hostility and defensiveness traits) for heart disease, and to examine whether chronological age and sex moderate the associations observed.

Methods

132 healthy men and women (Mage = 45.34 years) completed the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory II, The Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. Relative TL was measured by qu

SUBMITTER: Starnino L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5082938 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature