[Is there any alteration in bone mineral density in patients with depression?].
OBJECTIVE
Depression is associated with some alterations in behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function that may be risk factors for decreased bone mineral density (BMD). There is considerable inconsistency as to whether depressed patients really have decreased BMD or not. Decreased BMD has been reported in patients suffering from major depression in some studies, but not in some others. Moreover, few studies have investigated BMD in male depressed patients. The aim of this study was to investigate BMD in patients with major depression, including male ones.


METHODS
BMD was investigated in forty-two inpatients that fully met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (21 women, 21 men; mean age+/-SD: 37.57+/-8.70) and compared with that in twenty-three healthy controls (12 women, 11 men; mean age+/-SD: 33.73+/-7.16). The severity of clinical symptomatology was assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). BMDs of lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and femur neck were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
We found no difference in the values of BMDs of lumbar vertebra (L1-L4) and femur neck between depressive patients and controls among women or men. However, BMDs of the males in the control group were higher than those of the healthy females for both regions investigated; this gender difference was not observed in the depressive patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Major depression is not associated with any alteration in BMD either in women or in men.
Ozsoy
Saliha
S
Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon, Kayseri.
Eşel
Ertuğrul
E
Turan
M Tayfun
MT
Kula
Mustafa
M
Demir
Hüseyin
H
Kartalci
Sükrü
S
Kökbudak
Zaliha
Z
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors