Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Serum androgen levels and their association to depression and Alzheimer dementia in a cohort of 75-year-old men over 5 years: results of the VITA study

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 21, pages 187–191 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The role of androgens on cognitive function and mood is not well documented yet. We therefore evaluated all male participants (n=247, mean age 75.7 years) of a population-based study regarding testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), depression and Alzheimer Dementia (AD) for 5 years using the DSM-IV and NINCDS–ADRDA criteria. At study entry, low serum testosterone levels (<350 ng per 100 ml) were present in 45 (30.8%), low DHEAS (<50 μg per 100 ml) in 44 (30.1%), depression in 11 (7.5%) and AD in 7 (4.7%) men. After 5 years, the number of men with low testosterone levels increased to 52 (+15.5%), for low DHEAS to 57 (+29.5%) for depression to 34 (+219%) and for AD to 43 (+515%). Testosterone levels were not associated to prevalence or incidence of depression or dementia. Mean testosterone was 398.1 ng per 100 ml in depressive men and 431.7 ng per 100 ml in those without depression (P=0.57) and 406.3 ng per 100 ml in those with AD versus 429.5 ng per 100 ml without AD (P=0.66).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Feldman HA, Longcope C, Derby CA, Johannes CB, Araujo AB, Coviello AD et al. Age trends in level of serum testosterone and other hormones in middle aged men: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002; 87: 589–598.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Harman SM, Metter EJ, Tobin DJ, Pearson J, Blackman MR . Longitudinal effects of aging on serum total and free testosterone levels in healthy men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 724–731.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ferrini RL, Barrett-Connor E . Sex hormones and age: a cross-sectional study of testosterone and estradiol and their bioavailable fractios in community-dwelling men. Am J Epidemiol 1998; 147: 750–754.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Hayes FC, Matsumoto AM, Snyder PJ, Swerdloff RS et al. Testosterone therapy in adult men with androgen deficiency syndromes: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006; 91: 1995–2010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang C, Nieschlag E, Swerdloff R, Behre HM, Hellstrom JW, Gooren LG et al. ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA and ASA recommendations: investigation, treatment and monitoring of late-onset hypogonadism in males. Int J Impot Res 2009; 21: 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rhoden LE, Morgenthaler A . Risks of testosterone-replacement therapy and recommendations for monitoring. N Engl J Med 2004; 350: 482–492.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Amiaz R, Seidman SN . Testosterone and depression in men. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2008; 15: 278–283.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fuller SJ, Tan RS, Martins RN . Androgens in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease in aging men and possible therapeutic interventions. J Alzheimers Dis 2007; 12: 129–142.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Morrison MF . Androgens in the elderly: will androgen replacement therapy improve mood, cognition and quality of life in aging men and women. Psychopharmcol Bull 1997; 2: 293–295.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Livingston G, Hawkins A, Graham N, Blizard B, Mann A . The Gospel Oak Study: prevalence rates of dementia, depression and activity limitation among elderly residents in inner London. Psychol Med 1990; 20: 137–146.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ritchie K, Kildea D . Is senile dementia age-related or aging-related? Evidence from a meta-analysis of dementia prevalence in the oldest old. Lancet 1995; 346: 931–934.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Fischer P, Jungwirth S, Zehentmayer S, Weissgram S, Hoenigschnabl S, Gelpi E et al. Conversions from subtypes of mild cognitive impairment to AD. Neurology 2007; 68: 288–291.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn, American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC, USA, 1994.

  14. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzmann R, Price D, Stadlan EM . Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of department of health and human services task force on Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 1984; 34: 939–944.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Seidman SN, Araujo AB, Roose SP, McKinlay JB . Testosterone level, androgen receptor polymorphism and depressive symptoms in middle-aged men. Biol Psychiatry 2001; 50: 371–376.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Barrett-Connor E, Von Muhlen DG, Kritz-Silverstein D . Bioavailable testosterone and depressive mood in older men: the Rancho Bernardo Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84: 573–577.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kratzik CW, Schatzl G, Lackner JE, Lunglmayr G, Brandstätter N, Rücklinger E et al. Mood changes, body mass index and bioavailable testosterone in healthy men: results of the Androx Vienna Municipality Study. BJU Int 2007; 100: 614–618.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Booth A, Johnson DR, Granger DA . Testosterone and men's depression: the role of social behaviour. J Health Soc Behav 1999; 40: 130–140.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Makhlouf AA, Mohamed MA, Seftel AD, Niederberger C . Hypogonadism is associated with overt depression symptoms in men with erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2008; 20: 157–161.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hogervorst E, Bandelow M, Combrinck M, Smith AD . Low free testosterone is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer disease. Exp Gerontol 2004; 39: 1633–1639.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Moffat SD . Effects of testosterone on cognitive and brain aging in elderly men. Ann NY Acad Sci 2005; 37: 80–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Geerlings MI, Strozyk D, Masaki K, Remaley H, Petrovich H, Ross GW et al. Endogenous sex hormones, cognitive decline and future dementia in old men. Ann Neurol 2006; 60: 346–355.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology and Andrology, Donauspital (Danube Hospital), Vienna, Austria

    A Ponholzer, S Madersbacher & M Rauchenwald

  2. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Aging Research, Donauspital (Danube Hospital), Vienna, Austria

    S Jungwirth & K-H Tragl

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Donauspital (Danube Hospital), Vienna, Austria

    P Fischer

Authors
  1. A Ponholzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S Madersbacher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Rauchenwald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S Jungwirth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K-H Tragl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Ponholzer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ponholzer, A., Madersbacher, S., Rauchenwald, M. et al. Serum androgen levels and their association to depression and Alzheimer dementia in a cohort of 75-year-old men over 5 years: results of the VITA study. Int J Impot Res 21, 187–191 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2009.10

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2009.10

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links