title: Association of lower hemoglobin level with depressive mood in elderly women at high risk of requiring care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high prevalence of anemia and depression in the elderly, there have been few studies exploring the association between these two conditions. In the current study, we analyzed the association of hemoglobin level and depressive mood in a group of community-dwelling elderly at high risk of requiring care.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants at a health check in a group of community-dwelling elderly (1163 men and 2651 women) filled out a basic yes/no questionnaire consisting of simple assessments of their instrumental activities of daily living (7 items), memory problems (3 items), walking status (5 items), dysphagia (3 items), nutritional status (2 items) and depressive mood (5 items). Other examinations, including blood testing, were also performed. Multiple regression analysis with the score of depressive mood in the basic checklist was performed. The hemoglobin level was set for an explanatory value after adjustment for age, blood pressure, electrocardiogram abnormality, instrumental activities of daily living, walking status, nutritional status, dysphagia and memory problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 30.5% of women and 31.8% of men had anemia. When the subjects were divided with depressive score of 2 points or more (the highest possible score was 5) and less, those with a higher depressive score had significantly lower hemoglobin levels than those with a lower score. Multiple regression analysis showed that lower hemoglobin level was significantly associated with depressive mood only in women (P=0.046) but not in men (P=0.579).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower hemoglobin level was significantly associated with depressive mood in elderly women at high risk for care, but not in elderly men at high risk for care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan. umegaki@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umegaki
authors.forename: Madoka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagawa
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Endo
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins