Longitudinal change instead of baseline testosterone predicts depressive symptoms

Background: The association between total testosterone (T) and depression mostly relies on single sex hormone assessment and remains inconclusive. Thus, we investigated the comparative predictive performance of baseline T and change in T with development of depressive symptoms and incident depressive episodes. Methods: We used data from 6493 primary care patients (2653 men and 3840 women) of the DETECT study (Diabetes Cardiovascular Risk-Evaluation: Targets and Essential Data for Commitment of Treatment), including four-year follow-up, repeated immunoassay-based measurement of serum T and depressive symptoms assessed by the Depression Screening Questionnaire (DSQ). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of baseline T and one-year change in T with prevalent and incident depression were investigated using age- and multivariable-adjusted regression models. Results: Baseline T showed no association with prevalent or incident depressive symptoms and episodes in both sexes. In men, a positive change in T (higher T at one-year follow-up compared to baseline) was associated with a lower burden of depressive symptoms (A-coefficient per unit change in T: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.31 to -0.04) and lower risk of incident depressive symptoms (odds ratio per unit change in T: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72-0.98) at four-year follow-up. In women, the association of T change with incident depressive episodes was rendered nonsignificant after multivariable adjustment. Discussion: The present study observed a sex-specific inverse association of T change, but not baseline T, with increased depressive symptom burden in men. Future studies should assess longitudinal changes in sex hormone status as predictor of adverse health outcomes related to low T

Additional file 2 of Is loneliness associated with cancellation of medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS)

Supplementary Material

Additional file 3 of Is loneliness associated with cancellation of medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS)

Supplementary Material

Additional file 1 of Is loneliness associated with cancellation of medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS)

Supplementary Material