Depression May Lower Sex Hormone Levels Professor David J. Demko, PhD AgeVenture News Service "Not tonight honey, I have a hormone deficiency". Hmmm. That's a new phrase, and it's coming from the male side of the bed. Nevertheless, that phrase may become common place, according to a report from the Center for the Advancement of Health. A team of eight medical doctors associated with the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich has determined that sex hormones are secreted at different rates in men who are severely depressed than those who are not depressed. A major objective of the study was to analyze the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system in patients with major depression, the scientists said. The samples were analyzed for testosterone, gonadotropin (a hormone that stimulates growth of the gonads), cortisol (a major stress hormone), follicle stimulating hormone (which stimulates sperm production), and luteinizing hormone (which stimulates the production of testosterone). "Our data suggest that men (age 22 - 85) who suffer from severe major depression have disturbance of gonadal function as reflected by decreased testosterone concentration," said Dr. Ulrich Schweiger, head of the study. Comparison of men with depression and those without depression showed: lower testosterone concentrations during daytime and significantly lower concentrations at night and across the 24-hour period. similar concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone in both groups, but the LH pulse was lower in depressed men. cortisol concentration was 68 percent higher in men with major depression than in the comparison group. negative relationship between cortisol and testosterone, that is, the higher the cortisol, the lower the testosterone levels. The major implication of this study is that low testosterone may be one of several mechanisms in which severe depressive disorders impair sexual function and increase the risk of myocardial infarction and osteoporosis. "Previous studies of sex hormone concentration in depressed individuals had yielded inconsistent and ambiguous results," said Schweiger. "Possibly because some patients in those studies were only mildly depressed." Germany's chain of Max Planck Institutes, funded by the German federal and state governments, support intramural research in a broad range of scientific disciplines. See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. Husband Says Home Chores Lead to Sex Boomer Couples Cling to Role Stereotypes Mature Couples Find Spouses Demanding Men's Memory Study Hits Below the Belt AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP View More Headlines