Key result
Higher neuroticism was significantly associated with reduced heart rate variability (p < 0.001), an effect that was independent of cardiovascular disease and depression.
Why the study?
Is higher neuroticism independently associated with reduced heart rate variability, controlling for cardiovascular disease and depression?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,255)
Is higher neuroticism independently associated with reduced heart rate variability, controlling for cardiovascular disease and depression?
Effect estimate: χ2(2) = 15.85
p-value: p=<0.001
Neuroticism is independently associated with reduced heart rate variability and cardiovascular disease, suggesting it may be a distinct risk factor rather than just a byproduct of depression.
May flag autonomic risk beyond depression; leaves open prospective cardiovascular links in longitudinal studies.
Neuroticism is associated with cardiovascular disease, autonomic reactivity, and depression. Here we address the extent to which neuroticism accounts for the excess heart disease risk associated with depression and test whether cardiac autonomic tone plays a role as mediator. Subjects were derived from a nationally representative sample (n = 1,255: mean age 54.5, SD = 11.5). Higher neuroticism was associated with reduced heart rate variability equally under rest and stress. The baseline structural equation model revealed significant paths from neuroticism to heart rate variability, cardiovascular disease and depression, and between depression and cardiovascular disease, controlling for age, sex, height, weight, and BMI. Dropping both the neuroticism to heart rate variability, and neuroticism to heart disease paths significantly reduced the model fit (p < .001 in each case). We conclude that neuroticism has independent associations with both autonomic reactivity and cardiovascular disease, over and above its associations with depression and other related variables.
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Čukić et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in General population (n=1,255). Neuroticism vs. Lower neuroticism was evaluated on Association between neuroticism and heart rate variability (HRV) in structural equation modeling (χ2(2) = 15.85, p=<0.001). Higher neuroticism was significantly associated with reduced heart rate variability (p < 0.001), an effect that was independent of cardiovascular disease and depression.
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