Is your Personality making you Sick?

If you’re Impulsive…Check out that Stomach Ache

You might expect impulsive people to be at risk from accidents but, in fact, their biggest health danger is stomach ulcers. Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied more than 4 000 people and found that those who had an impulsive personality were 2,4 times more at risk of developing peptic ulcers.

These are triggered by high acidity in the digestive system - and it's thought that impulsive people tend to respond to stress with higher-than-normal rates of acid production. A contributing factor could be that, according to research conducted by the University of Wales, impulsiveness is associated with poorer control over eating habits.

If you’re Cheerful…Wipe that Smile off your Face

One of the most surprising findings is that cheerful people are more likely to die young. 'Children who were rated by their parents and teachers as more cheerful and as having a sense of humor died earlier in adulthood than those who were less cheerful,' say researchers at the University of California in the US. 'Contrary to expectation, cheerfulness and sense of humor were inversely related to longevity.' One theory is that cheerful people underestimate life's dangers and may also be more likely to have difficulty coping when things don't turn out as anticipated.

If you’re Anxious…Here’s (even) More to Worry about

People with anxiety disorders are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. People with anxiety disorders are three times more likely to be treated for high blood pressure - possibly as a result of stress hormones, a study at Northern Arizona University in the US has found. And those with phobic anxieties, such as a fear of heights, have been found to be at higher risk of heart disease and high cholesterol as well as of high blood pressure.

Although behavioral differences - such as a greater tendency among anxious people to smoke - go some way to explaining this, they do not explain it all. A study at the University of Antwerp in Belgium found that within 10 years of heart treatment, 27% of anxious types were dead, compared with 7% of others.

If you’re Aggressive…You Tend to be Long-Wounded

Hostile personality types are prone to serious heart problems - and their wounds take longer to heal. People who suffer from atherosclerosis - furred-up arteries - are likely to have hostile personalities, according to a study of about 2 000 people carried out in Scotland. And a US study has shown that aggressive people are at greater risk of chronic inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to the build-up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries, causing heart disease. One theory is that hostile people are often agitated, which raises blood pressure and heart rate, resulting in wear and tear on the cardiovascular system. Angry people also take longer to heal. Researchers at Ohio State University in the US created small wounds on the arms of healthy people and found that, after four days, only 30% of the angry patients' wounds had healed, compared with 70% of placid patients'.

If you’re Shy…You Need more Tissues than Most

Socially inhibited people are more likely than extroverted people to catch colds. Shy people are more vulnerable to viral infections, suggests research done by the University of California. In animal studies, scientists found that gregarious types had more active protective lymph nodes than shy types. (Lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system and help to destroy infectious germs, such as the common cold virus, and bacteria).

If you’re Optimistic…you have every Reason to Expect the Best

People who always look on the bright side of things live longer, happier, healthier lives. Optimists live, on average, 7,5 years longer than those who take a gloomy view, according to research at the University of California.

The risk of dying early from any disease is 55% lower for optimists, researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found. One possible explanation, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the US, is that optimism helps boost the immune system.

Another view is that optimism may increase the will to live. And the fact that optimists are more sociable is also thought to play a role - sociability generally lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If you’re Reserved…Try Uncorking some of what’s Bottled Up

Internalizing all your feelings can put your health under pressure. Taciturn people - sometimes known as distressed or Type-D personalities - often suffer from a high degree of emotional suffering but consciously suppress their feelings, and as a result may be at higher risk of cancer and heart disease. Once Type-Ds develop coronary-artery disease, they are at greater risk of dying, according to a study by Harvard University in the US. The researchers suggest that these people have poorly regulated stress hormones, which puts pressure on their cardiovascular systems.

If you’re Conscientious…You Know the right thing to do

This is the personality trait most closely associated with a long and healthy life. Conscientiousness has a significant effect on longevity and on steadying blood-pressure and cholesterol levels, suggests research by Nottingham University in the UK. A
University of California study suggests this is because conscientious people are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors, and are less likely to be reckless.

If you’re Neurotic…Take a Deep Breath

All the stressing, obsessing and second-guessing isn't doing your health any favors. Being a neurotic type is associated with asthma, headaches, stomach ulcers and heart disease, according to a University of California study. It suggests that, because neurotic people often employ ineffective coping strategies - with lots of self-blame and hostility, rather than seeking help and support - they become even more stressed. This leads to a less effective immune system and greater susceptibility to disease.

If you’re Extroverted…Be Careful What you Eat

Like optimists, extroverts are generally healthy - except that they have a tendency to get fat. Extroverts are less likely to get heart disease, according to a study by Milan University in Italy. Researchers found that they were 15% less likely than other people to get any kind of disease, and were more likely to recover quickly if they did.

Extroverts were also found to be less susceptible to infections. One theory is that they have more effective coping strategies and, consequently, fewer stress hormones in their bodies. They may also be more likely to seek medical help when symptoms appear.

The downside to being an extrovert, researchers at Yamagata University School of Medicine in Japan have found, is that an outgoing person is more likely than introspective people to be overweight.

One possible explanation is that extroverts tend to be more sociable and therefore attend more social occasions involving food.

If you’re Pessimistic…You are Probably Right

Those who always expect the worst will find that, when it comes to their health, they're right. Pessimists have a 19% higher risk of dying early compared with optimists. Researchers in the US have also found that people who have high levels of pessimism and anxiety have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life.

'What we have shown for the first time is that there's a link between an anxious or pessimistic personality and the future development of Parkinson's disease,' says neurologist Dr James Bower from the Mayo Clinic in the US. 'What we didn't find is the explanation for that link.'