New finding may help explain the gender difference in happiness

Tampa, FL (Aug. 28, 2012) — A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn’t work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.

Scientists at the University of South Florida (USF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute reported that the low-expression  form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with higher self-reported happiness in women.  No such association was found in men.

The findings appear online in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

“This is the first happiness gene for women,” said lead author Henian Chen, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, USF College of Public Health.

“I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior,” said Chen, who directs the Biostatistics Core at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “It’s even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene.”

Henian Chen, a researcher at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, was the study’s lead author.

While they experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, women tend to report greater overall life happiness than do men.  The reason for this remains unclear, Chen said. “This new finding may help us to explain the gender difference and provide more insight into the link between specific genes and human happiness.”

The MAOA gene regulates the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serontin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain — the same “feel-good” chemicals targeted by many antidepressants.  The low-expression version of the MAOA gene promotes higher levels of monoamine, which allows larger amounts of these neurotransmitters to stay in the brain and boost mood.

The researchers analyzed data from a population-based sample of 345 individuals – 193 women and 152 men – participating in Children in the Community, a longitudinal mental health study. The DNA of study subjects had been analyzed for MAOA gene variation and their self-reported happiness was scored by a widely used and validated scale.

After controlling for various factors, ranging from age and education to income, the researchers found that women with the low-expression type of MAOA were significantly happier than others. Compared to women with no copies of the low-expression version of the MAOA gene, women with one copy scored higher on the happiness scale and those with two copies increased their score even more.

While a substantial number of men carried a copy of the “happy” version of the MAOA gene, they reported no more happiness than those without it.

So, why the genetic gender gap in feeling good?

The researchers suspect the difference may be explained in part by the hormone testosterone, found in much smaller amounts in women than in men.  Chen and his co-authors suggest that testosterone may cancel out the positive effect of MAOA on happiness in men.

The potential benefit of MAOA in boys could wane as testosterone levels rise with puberty, Chen said. “Maybe men are happier before adolescence because their testosterone levels are lower.”

Chen emphasizes that more research is needed to identify which specific genes influence resilience and subjective well-being, especially since studies of twins estimate genetic factors account for 35 to 50 percent of the variance in human happiness.

While happiness is not determined by a single gene, there is likely a set of genes that, along with life experiences, shape our individual happiness levels, Chen said. “I think the time is right for more genetic studies that focus on well-being and happiness.”

“Certainly it could be argued that how well-being is enhanced deserves at least as much attention as how (mental) disorders arise; however, such knowledge remains limited.”

The study by Chen and colleagues was supported by the National Institutes of Health and a USF proposal enhancement grant.

Article citation:
Henian Chen, Daniel S. Pine, Monique Ernst, Elena Gorodetsky, Stephanie Kasen, Kathy Gordon, David Goldman, Patricia Cohen; The MAOA gene predicts happiness in women; Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, online in advance of print Aug. 4, 2012; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.07.018

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
(813) 974-3303, or abaier@health.usf.edu

For many years, women throughout the Tampa Bay area have turned to the University of South Florida for help as they transition through menopause.

Now that coordinated care has expanded with the opening of the USF Menopause Center, a multidisciplinary clinic designed to treat every aspect of menopause with a concierge approach to service.

“There are many symptoms associated with menopause, some directly and some indirectly,” said Barry S. Verkauf, MD, who is one of the nation’s leading experts on reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and is professor in the USF Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the USF Menopause Center.

“This clinic will help women look at the entire menopause as a transition that can be safely managed so they can more fully enjoy the prime years of their lives.”

Dr. Barry Verkauf

Dr. Verkauf said two primary factors drove USF to expand the new Center: population demographics and the increasing emphasis in medicine on prevention and quality of life.

“With the baby boomer generation maturing, the number of women entering the menopause has more than doubled since 1990,” he said. “This increase means more and more women will need and want support for the biological, sociological, physiological and interpersonal changes they are experiencing. And that support will greatly improve their quality of life as they live through menopause and enjoy midlife.”

The Center provides improved, targeted clinical options for women. Comprehensive evaluations, care and treatment by specialists in gynecology, endocrinology and sociology help patients safely manage their menopause, as well as screen for the most prevalent health issues they might be facing during these same years, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and breast cancer.

“These four are most prevalent during the years of the peri and post menopause,” Dr. Verkauf said. “By screening our patients for these very serious, life-threatening diseases, we can offer a front-line approach to preventing future complications. We can also help evaluate early signs of depression and skin changes, which can also begin to appear during the same timeframe as menopause.”

Dr. Verkauf said the Center is working closely with local physicians specializing in these diseases, offering patients referral resources and a continuity of care to treat these major diseases. This network of physicians includes specialists in cardiology, psychology, endocrinology, rheumatology, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorders.

Another key issue affecting these baby boomer women is misinformation, he said.

“Some earlier studies showing connections between using combinations of estrogen and progestin hormones with an increased risk for breast cancer and stroke have caused many women to turn away from hormone replacement therapy altogether,” he said.

“But those studies looked at a much older population, those in the mid-60s on average, and not those in their early 50s or late 40s, which are the more average ages for menopause and the menopausal transition.  The result is that women approached the menopause with a fear for hormones when, in fact, managed hormone treatment would be safe and effective for most women for combating the symptoms that leave many women feeling miserable.”

Dr. Verkauf said that the USF Menopause Center is meeting a huge demand for Tampa Bay area women.

“We are looking at the whole patient, a woman experiencing a completely natural stage in her life that can bring forth uncomfortable as well as serious symptoms,” he said. “Our aim is to help this woman live the best life possible through these years.”

Visit Womens.health.usf.edu for more information about the USF Menopause Center and other services offered by the USF Department of Ob/Gyn.

To make an appointment, visit myhealthcare.usf.edu or call (813) 259-8500.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications