Narcissism in Men

Narcissism- excessive love of oneself - is an unattractive trait in women and for men it may be physically damaging. Narcissism is characterized by a sense of grandiosity, entitlement and low empathy.

Unhealthy narcissism is associated with higher levels of stress-related hormone cortisol in men. The relationship between the two is much weaker in women. This is problematic for the men because the elevated cortisol levels indicate chronic activation of the body's stress-response system, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular as well as other problems.

David Reinhard of the University of Virginia said in a press release issued by the University of Michigan.

" Even though narcissists have grandiose self-perceptions, they also have fragile views of themselves, and often resort to defensive strategies like aggression when their sense of superiority is threatened.

These kinds of coping strategies are linked with increased cardiovascular reactivity to stress and higher blood pressure, so it makes sense that higher levels of maladaptive narcissism would contribute to highly reactive stress response systems and chronically elevated levels of stress."