Ricerc@Sapienza

Background. The mechanism underlying the association between personality profile and
subclinical atherosclerosis is poorly understood. This study explores the association between
personality, carotid atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness, and the contribution of genes and
environment to this association.
Methods. Early atherosclerotic traits, including carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT),
aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and heart rate, were assessed in 318 adult twins, who
also completed a Big Five personality questionnaire. Using the co-twin control approach, the
association between intra-pair differences in clinical and personality scores was assessed in
dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins separately.
Results. An association between CCA-IMT and extroverted personality, as well as between
PWVao and openness to experience was detected. The inverse association between CCAIMT
and extraversion was persistent in DZ and disappeared in MZ twins, suggesting genetic
confounding. In contrast, the association between PWVao and openness to experience was of
the same magnitude in DZ and MZ twins, thus surviving the adjustment for genetic and
shared environmental factors.
Conclusions. This study highlights that the association between some psychological factors
and cardiovascular traits may be partly explained by genetic factors. This result may provide
support for the feasibility of prevention programs based on assessing familiarity for
personality disorders to detect genetic risk for subclinical cardiovascular disease.