Table 2: Potential mediators of personality-longevity associations.

Behavioral Biological Alcohol use Cortisol, markers of HPA Axis function Cigarette smoking and tobacco use Epinephrine/Norepinephrine, markers of SAM Axis Function Physical activity and exercise Inflammatory Markers BMI Adaptive Immune Markers (Natural Killer Cells, White Blood Cell Count) Illicit drug use; abuse of prescription medications Markers of oxidative stress Specific eating habits Lipids and sclerotic activity Accidents Neurodegeneration associated with HPA axis dysregulation Sexual risk behavior Markers of metabolic dysregulation such as insulin resistance Health risk perception and evaluation Genetic Markers of Disease and Longevity Health service use Telomere shortening and other markers of impaired genetic replication Health care adherence; communication with health care providers; trust in health care delivery system Mechanisms of pain and somatic sensitivity Sleep behavior; dental hygiene Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Health beliefs and somatic sensitivity Recruitment of social support; informal help-seeking