. . . now we have health issues linked to personality traits

It seems that just about every personality trait comes with its own characteristic type of disease, according to an article in Britain’s Daily Mail (courtesy of The Huffington Post>)(“Your personality type could decide what makes you ill”).

The article, by Roger Dobson, lists research that suggests personality traits are more significant than previously thought in future health. Quite how the mechanism works is unknown, though it may be a mixture of behavioral pressures and genetic tendencies.

The article then helpfully lists a series of personality traits and the diseases linked to them. Here are some examples

If you’re impulsive, watch out for stomach ulcers. Hostile, competitive and impatient people are at higher risk for heart disease. Anxious ones face potential problems with high blood pressure. Phobic women (why just women?) face heart disease, high blood pressure and problems with cholesterol. If you’re aggressive, watch out for furred-up arteries, chornic inflammation and poor healing ability. Pessimists don’t just expect to die early, they do. They also have an inceased risk for Parkinson’s Disease.

Even ‘nice’ traits don’t get away scot-free. Cheerful types, it seems, are more at risk of premature death! It seems that miserable old coots really do live linger; it doesn’t just feel that way. Shy people fall victim to more viruses.

Are there any traits associated with being healthy? It seems there are.

Conscientious, optimistic, extroverted people share the best health prognosis, with reduced risks of heart disease, better healing capabilities and a tendency to live longer than the average.

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