Depression symptoms and hypothyroidism in a population-based study of middle-aged Brazilian women.
BACKGROUND
Overt hypothyroidism is often recognized as an important cause of depression, but in sub-clinical cases, results are inconsistent and most prior studies have involved small samples.


METHODS
We evaluated the association between hypothyroidism and depressive symptoms (PRIME-MD) in a population-based study of 1298 middle-aged women living in a large metropolitan city in Brazil.


RESULTS
45.7% presented depressive symptoms, and 12.3% presented hypothyroidism. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, race, smoking and body mass index showed that women with TSH>10 mUI/ml had a threefold chance of presenting depressive symptoms compared to those with normal levels of TSH. Among those with clinical hypothyroidism the adjusted OR was 8.7.


CONCLUSIONS
High levels of TSH were associated to an increased chance of developing depression in the general population. Therefore, depressive symptoms must be considered in patients with thyroid dysfunction and depressed patients should be tested for TSH.
Guimarães
Joanna Miguez Nery
JM
Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. joannaguimaraes@hotmail.com
de Souza Lopes
Claudia
C
Baima
Jader
J
Sichieri
Rosely
R
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D016387:Women's Health
D013972:Thyrotropin