Relationship between testosterone levels and depressive symptoms in older men in Amirkola, Iran

Background: Many studies have been carried out on the relationship between testosterone levels and depression in the elderly. Due to the different results of these studies and the importance of depression in old age, this study seems to be necessary. Methods: This cross- sectional study is a part of the Amirkola Health and Aging Project (AHAP) that involves people aged 60 and above living in Amirkola, a small town in northern Iran. The testosterone levels were measured using ELISA on morning blood samples (ngr / ml) and depressive symptoms were identified using Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The data were collected and analyzed. Results: In this study, 830 elderly men with a mean age of 70.02±7.7 years were included. On the basis of GDS criteria, 593 individuals had no depressive symptoms and 237 had at least one of these symptoms. The mean serum testosterone level in men without symptoms of depression (4.94±4.22) was significantly higher than in men with such symptoms (4.19±3.65) (P=0.011). Also, there was a significant inverse correlation between the testosterone levels and number of depressive symptoms (P= 0.015, r= - 0.084). Conclusion: The results of this study showed a significant inverse relationship between serum testosterone levels and depressive symptoms in elderly men