title: Association of testosterone levels and future suicide attempts in females with bipolar disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considerable evidence suggests that testosterone may play a role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders in females. This is the first prospective study to examine whether blood testosterone levels predict suicide attempts in females with bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Females with a DSM-IV diagnosis of a bipolar disorder in a depressive or mixed episode with at least one past suicide attempt were enrolled. Demographic and clinical parameters were assessed and recorded. Plasma testosterone was assayed using a double antibody radioimmunoassay procedure. Patients were followed up prospectively for up to 2.5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, testosterone levels positively correlated with the number of previous major depressive episodes and suicide attempts. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis found that higher baseline testosterone levels predicted suicide attempts during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A limitation of the study is that the sample size is modest. Another limitation is that we did not have a bipolar nonattempter or healthy volunteer control group for comparison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Testosterone levels may predict suicidal behavior in women with bipolar disorder.
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; James J. Peters Veterans' Administration Medical Center and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: Leo.Sher@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Grunebaum
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ainsley K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J John
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oquendo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Bipolar; Female; Suicide; Testosterone