Link between low testosterone levels and depression in older men

Main Category: Depression
Article Date: 05 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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According to an article in Archives of General Psychiatry (JAMA Archive Journal) men are more likely to be depressed if their testosterone levels are low.

Hypognadism (testosterone deficiency) occurs in about 30% of men over 55.

After the age of 40 testosterone levels in men decrease by about 1% per year.

Low testosterone levels can lead to decreased muscle mass (and strength), lower bone mineral density, reduced appetite, lower libido, irritability and fatigue.

Some of these symptoms overlap with the symptoms of depression. The link between hypogonadism and depression is not completely clear yet.

Clinical records of 278 45+ year-olds were examined. These men did not have depression. The aim was to examine the relationship between testosterone levels and the incidence of diagnosed depression over a two-year period.

The study was carried out by Dr. Molly M. shores (Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, USA).

Over the two-year period, they found that 21.8% of men with low testosterone levels had depression. Only 7.1% of the men with normal testosterone levels were diagnosed with depression.

Men with hypogonadism were 4.2 times more likely to have depression. This was after making adjustments for age, alcohol abuse, prostate cancer and other medical conditions.

The researchers said that Hypogonadal men showed an increased incidence of depressive illness and a shorter time to diagnosis of depression.

They also said that further prospective studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to clarify the role.

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