Low Testosterone Associated With Depression in Elderly Men

Older men with low levels of testosterone in their blood are more likely to be depressed, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

Osvaldo P. Almeida and colleagues at the University of Western Australia studied 3,987 men aged 71 to 89. The men were asked to complete a questionnaire asking about their demographics and health history. They were then tested for depression and cognitive difficulties and information was obtained about their physical health from a short survey and an Australian health database. The researchers also drew blood samples and tested for free and total testosterone.

The researchers found that the 203 men in the group who met the criteria for depression had significantly lower levels of both free and total testosterone than those who were not depressed. They also found that the men with the lowest levels of testosterone were the most likely to be depressed.

Further research is needed to determine if screening tests and supplementation would help prevent depression in older men, say the authors.