A link between hormones and depression
If you feel depressed, you may be able to blame it on your hormones.
Older men with lower free testosterone levels have been found to have a higher incidence of depression than men with higher levels.
A recent study included 3,987 men between the ages of 71 and 89 years. These men completed questionnaires, were tested for depression, gave blood samples so their levels of total testosterone and free testosterone could be measured, and had their cognitive health tested.
Overall, 203 of these men met the criteria for having depression. It was found that all of these men also had significantly lower total and free testosterone levels than the other study participants.
Men in the lowest 20 percent for levels of free testosterone had three times the odds of having depression compared to men on the other end of the spectrum.
How these low levels affect depression risk has not been figured out yet, but what's more important is realizing this may be a very real, physical explanation for your symptoms. According to statistics, women are more likely to be depressed than men, but those differences based on gender tend to evaporate around the age of 65. Hormones are a very logical reason why.
And older men, not accustomed to hearing a lot of their male counterparts dealing with depression, may hesitate to talk to their doctor about what could very well be a red flag for something else going on inside their body. If this is you, please don't hesitate—bring it up with your doctor immediately. It's much more serious than feeling down, as depression can figure in many disease processes.
Stay tuned, because in future installments I'll tell you more about testosterone replacement therapy, plus other ways you can naturally boost your testosterone levels.
