Prevalence and risk factors for depression in older people in Xi'an China: a community-based study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and to determine the impact of socio-demographic variables, chronic diseases and health-related events on depression in a community sample of older adults in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

METHODS

Cross sectional, multistage community survey. A semi-structured questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, physical health, chronic diseases and health-related events was administered to 1587 older adults from eight communities. Depression was assessed using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a threshold of <11/11+. Analysis was conducted using SPSS16.0 Complex Samples Logistic analysis procedure.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression was 27.0% (95% CI 24.7-29.2%). In a univariate analysis, the following variables were significantly associated with depression: female gender, low max income, coronary heart disease, suffering 3 or above chronic diseases and functional impairments, 4 adverse life events (financial problems, death of closely related person, unpleasantness experience and horrifying experience) and suffering 1 or above adverse life events. After adjustment for age and gender, odds ratios for depression were significantly higher for coronary heart disease, suffering 3 or above chronic diseases and functional impairments, adverse life event (financial problems, unpleasantness experience) and suffering 3 or above adverse life events.

CONCLUSIONS

According to GDS estimates, 27.0% Chinese urban older adult had depression symptoms. In designing prevention programs, detection and management of older patients with depression should be a high priority in developing countries.

Effects of sex steroid hormones, thyroid hormone levels, and insulin regulation on thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in Chinese men

Our study is to determine the expression of thyroid hormone, sex hormone, insulin, and C-peptide in Chinese male patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP). This study covered 102 patients with hyperthyroidism from Xijing Hospital. According to whether occurrence of TPP or not, patients were divided into two groups (those that were hyperthyroid with and without TPP) that were, matched with age, blood pressure, urea, and creatinine. We found the body mass index (BMI) in patients with TPP was higher than that in pure hyperthyroidism patients. The levels of the total thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) were significantly lower in patients with TPP compared with pure hyperthyroidism patients, while serum testosterone levels were higher compared with pure hyperthyroidism patients. Moreover, after glucose administration, the concentration of insulin at 60, 120, and 180 min were significantly higher in patients with TPP than those in pure hyperthyroidism patients. The insulin area under the curve (AUC) was significantly increased in patients with TPP compared with pure hyperthyroidism patients. The levels of thyroid hormone, sex hormone, and insulin were different in Chinese male patients with TPP compared to those with only hyperthyroidism.