Abstract

The causes of decreasing in the male sex hormone (testosterone) are known to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, drinking, smoking, drugs etc, as well as age. Depression and stress are reported to association with decreasing in testosterone levels, also. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of serum testosterone levels according to depression and stress state. The study was carried out in adult males more than 20 years old, who visited one health promotion center from April, 2009 to July, 2012. We evaluated the state of depression by surveying CES-D-K for males less than 65 years old, and by surveying GDSSF-K for males more than 65 years old, and also evaluated the state of stress by surveying BEPSI-K. Total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) were measured by sampling venous blood in fasting state more than 8 hours in the morning. Then, we analyzed the serum testosterone levels according to depression and stress state. In the depression group or the high stress group, TT and FT were a little low, but were not differed significantly between each group. However, by the comparison of depression and high stress group (n=17) with non-depression and low stress group (n=254), TT and FT were both low in the depression and high stress group, and TT was differed significantly between the two groups (p=0.04 by Mann-Whitney test). By the comparison of depression and high stress group with non-depression and low stress group, TT was significantly low in the depression and high stress group. (Korean J Str Res 2013;21:239∼247)

• Keywords: Depression, Stress, Testosterone;