Depression
(IN PHOTO)An inmate is shackled to a bed at a hospital which houses and provides treatment to about 100 patients who are suffering from mental disorders, in Hefei, east China's Anhui province July 3, 2007. Just 10 percent of the 30 million Chinese currently suffering from depression are getting proper medical care due to a lack of psychiatrists and social prejudice against mental illness, experts have said, China Daily reported. REUTERS

Low testosterone levels in males were long known to impact the sex lives of couples. However, now a latest research has linked the presence of low testosterone levels with an increased possibility of associated depression.

The study results have raised a new possibility for the screening of males with low testosterone for depression. According to the lead researcher Michael Irwig of the George Washington University, men are increasingly being tested for low levels of testosterone nowadays. However, there is not much data that actually reveal the percentage of males who have borderline low levels of testosterone. The team felt it necessary to study the mental health of such males.

During the research, the team studied a subject population of 200 men aged between 20 and 77. The mean average age of the population was 48 years. All of the subjects were referred for borderline total testosterone levels between 200 and 350 ng/dL, reported The Hindustan Times.

The researchers found that nearly 56 percent of the participants were diagnosed with depression or depressive symptoms. In addition, nearly 25 percent of the males were already taking anti-depressants at the time of the study. A majority of the subjects were also obese and were reported inactive in terms of physical activity.

Based on the study results, the researchers suggest that clinicians should watch out for depressive symptoms and signs of depression in patients who are referred for treatment of low testosterone production, or hypogonadism. In addition, they should also take a note of the unhealthy lifestyle factors and obesity while deciding the course of treatment. The complete study findings have been published in the journal of Sexual Medicine.

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