title: Angiogenesis inhibition and depression in older men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases have been associated with depression in later life, and a potential mechanism is inhibition of angiogenesis. We designed this study to determine if depression is associated with higher serum concentration of endostatin, an endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional examination of a random sample of men aged 69-86 years. Those who scored 7 or higher on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale were deemed depressed. We determined the concentration of serum endostatin using a reproducible assay. Other measures included age, education, body mass index, smoking, history of depression, use of antidepressants, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, plasma homocysteine, triglycerides and cholesterol. We used logistic regression to investigate the association between endostatin and depression, and adjusted the analyses for confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our sample included 1109 men. Sixty-three (5.7%) men were depressed. Their serum endostatin was higher than that of nondepressed participants (p = 0.021). Men in the highest decile of endostatin had greater adjusted odds of depression (odds ratio [OR] 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-3.06). A doubling of endostatin doubled the odds of depression (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.31-2.84). The probability of depression increased with the concentration of endostatin in a log-linear fashion up to a maximum of about 20%-25%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional design limits the study's ability to ascribe causality to the association between high endostatin and depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum endostatin is associated with depression in older men. It remains to be established whether correction of this imbalance is feasible and could decrease the prevalence of depression in later life.
authors: School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth; WA Centre for Health & Ageing, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth; Department of Psychiatry, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.
authors: Osvaldo P
authors: OP
authors: Almeida
authors: School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth; WA Centre for Health & Ageing, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth; Department of Psychiatry, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.
authors: Andrew H
authors: AH
authors: Ford
authors: WA Centre for Health & Ageing, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth.
authors: Leon
authors: L
authors: Flicker
authors: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth Department of Neurology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth.
authors: Graeme J
authors: GJ
authors: Hankey
authors: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth Department of Endocrinology, Fremantle Hospital, Fremantle.
authors: Bu B
authors: BB
authors: Yeap
authors: Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville.
authors: Paula
authors: P
authors: Clancy
authors: Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Australia.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Golledge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D043169:Endostatins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011336:Probability; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D043169:Endostatins