PERSONALITY CLASH

How your personality affects your health. this week: Conscientiousness

BEING conscientious won’t just help your career, it can also protect against cardiovascular disease and dementia, according to a recent study.

Professor Andrew Steptoe, of University College London, found those who are determined to do their best at work were less prone to chronic diseases. He says this is partly because they’re more likely to exercise, keep their weight down and see their GP. ‘But there may be a more deeply biological reason as well,’ he adds. ‘Even though it may seem they fret more about the little things, conscientious types tend to stress themselves less.’ They therefore have lower levels of inflammatory markers which are linked to heart attack or stroke.