title: Depressive symptoms and bone mineral density in older men.
abstract: Most studies examining the relation between depression and bone mineral density (BMD) have been limited to psychiatric patients or to community-dwelling, older women. We conducted a cross-sectional and prospective cohort study to determine whether depressive symptoms are associated with low BMD in community-dwelling, older men. We recruited 515 men 50 years of age or older from population-based listings of age-eligible men. Participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale (short form) and were considered depressed if they scored 6 or more out of 15 possible points. BMD was measured in the spine and hip using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in all participants, and again an average of 3.6 years later in a random subset of 100 participants. The prevalence of depressive symptoms (GDS = 6) was 3.1% (16 of 515). We found no difference in mean BMD or mean percent change in BMD per year of the hip and lumbar spine in men who had 6 or more depressive symptoms compared with men who reported 5 or fewer symptoms of depression. These findings suggest that depressive symptoms are not associated with BMD in community-dwelling, older men.
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street (111A1), San Francisco, CA 94121, USA. whooley@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Whooley
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zmuda
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Haney
authors.forename: Nancy W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Glynn
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging