They might act like life couldn’t be better but, on the inside, vain men are likely to be so plagued with worry that they put their health at risk, research shows.
Psychologists from the University of Michigan, in the U.S., asked 106 people to take personality questionnaires and took two saliva samples.
They found men who showed ‘unhealthy’ levels of narcissism in the questionnaires had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, even in a relaxed situation. In women, this was not the case.
“Even though narcissists have grandiose self-perceptions, they often resort to defensive strategies, such as aggression, when their sense of superiority is threatened,” says co-author Professor David Reinhard. He adds that these kinds of coping strategies are linked to higher blood pressure.
While a degree of vanity can be healthy — for instance, it might mean you exercise, watch your weight and don’t smoke — he says too much can cause tension and, in extreme cases, lead to depression and personality disorders.
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