Persistently high psychological well-being predicts better HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels: findings from the midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) longitudinal study

Barry T Radler,Carol D Ryff,Attilio Rigotti

doi:10.1186/s12944-017-0646-8

Abstract

BackgroundPsychological correlates of blood lipid levels have been previously evaluated mostly in cross sectional studies. However, prospectively measured psychological factors might also predict favorable blood lipid profiles, thereby indicating a healthy mind/body interplay that is associated with less disease, better health and longer lives.MethodsThis paper examined whether longitudinal profiles of psychological well-being over 9–10 years are predictors of blood lipid profiles. Using the MIDUS (Midlife in the U.S.) biological subsample (n = 1054, aged 34 to 84, 55% female), cross-time trajectories of well-being were linked with three lipid outcomes (i.e., HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol), measured for the first time at the 2nd wave of the study.ResultsMost adults showed largely stable profiles of well-being, albeit at different levels. Some showed persistently high well-being over time, while others revealed persistently low or moderate well-being. After adjusting for the effect of demographics, health behaviors, medications, and insulin resistance, adults with persistently high levels of environmental mastery and self-acceptance—two components of psychological well-being—had significantly higher levels of HDL as well as significantly lower levels of triglycerides compared to adults with persistently low levels of well-being. Converging with prior findings, no association was found between well-being and LDL cholesterol.ConclusionsOver 9–10 years, persistently high levels of psychological well-being measures predicted high HDL cholesterol and low triglycerides. These findings add longitudinal evidence to the growing body of research showing that positive psychological factors are linked with better lipoprotein profiles. A better blood lipid profile, particularly higher HDL-C, may be key in mediating how psychological well-being positively impacts health and length of life. Additional research is required to further validate this hypothesis as well as to establish potential underlying mechanisms.

Highlights

Psychological correlates of blood lipid levels have been previously evaluated mostly in cross sectional studies
A relevant question is whether prospectively measured psychological factors might predict favorable blood lipid profiles, higher High Density Lipoproteins (HDL)-C, thereby implicating salubrious mind/body interplay that is associated with less disease, better health and longer lives
With regard to hedonic well-being, greater happiness was associated with lower levels of total cholesterol [1], while positive affect correlated with higher High Density Lipid Cholesterol (HDL-C), but not the ratio of total/HDL-C [32]

Summary

Introduction

Psychological correlates of blood lipid levels have been previously evaluated mostly in cross sectional studies. Over 500 publications have linked eudaimonic well-being to life course development and aging, work and family life, and health [17]. Few of these prior investigations have used longitudinal assessments of well-being. Evidence over a 9–10 year period from the MIDUS national sample revealed that most adults did not reliably increase or decrease (using the index of reliable change [18]) on any dimension of well-being over time [19] Such stability was notably differentiated, with regard to level: some individuals showed persistently high levels of wellbeing across time, while others showed persistently low or moderate levels. Such trajectories underscore distinctions between cumulative psychological advantage or disadvantage across time

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