A third possible way to use of neuroticism in prevention could be to routinely assess neuroticism only in persons with the existing medical conditions that appear to deteriorate more quickly in persons who have high neuroticism scores, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At a minimum, physicians could provide more intensive monitoring or interventions to prevent decline in these individuals. This could be particularly beneficial if a better understanding of the role of neuroticism in such diseases leads to improved treatments for patients high in neuroticism. In addition, is possible that interventions to reduce neuroticism could mitigate against disease progression. Again, much remains to be learned about such important topics.
