The Connection between Low T and Depression
It’s normal for testosterone levels to decline with age. At the same time, the rates of clinical depression increase as men grow older. Could there be a correlation between Low T in San Diego men and clinical depression?
Looking at Numbers
Approximately 30 percent of men over the age of 55 are diagnosed with Low T. The symptoms of declining testosterone include fatigue, mood swings and irritability, as well as a drop in sex drive. Many of these symptoms are very similar to those seen in men of the same age who have clinical depression, which can frequently cause misdiagnosis of either one disease or the other.
In one research study, analysis of medical records spanning a two-year period looked at nearly 300 men ages 45 and over who previously had no history of clinical depression, yet did have low to normal testosterone levels. Through the course of the study, the men with lower testosterone were four times as likely to receive a diagnosis of clinical depression.
Studies in mice indicate that low testosterone levels could have a direct impact on serotonin production, one of the neurotransmitters that plays an essential role in clinical depression and other mental health disorders. Serotonin levels are lower in patients with clinical depression, and serotonin receptors decline in function with age, making older men and women more susceptible to clinical depression.
While there’s still not enough data to definitively link Low T with depression, male hormone replacement therapy could help resolve many troubling symptoms for San Diego men, especially in cases where depression was diagnosed, yet the true cause of symptoms was due to Low T.