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Older men with depression at greater risk for hospital admissions

Male seniors with depressive symptoms were at a twofold risk for hospital admissions, according to new study results published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

“Older people are the most frequent users of health services, and the progressive aging of the world’s population may lead to a saturation of available services,” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, we must find ways to reduce preventable admissions to hospital and uncover the factors associated with potentially preventable use of health services.”

A. Matthew Prina, MPhil, of the University of Cambridge, and colleagues obtained data on 5,411 men aged 69 years or older from Perth, Australia, who were enrolled in the Health in Men Study. The men were assessed at baseline using the Geriatric Depression Scale, and followed for 2 years.

Results indicated that 44.8% of men with depressive symptoms had at least one emergency hospital admission vs. 22.9% of men without depression (P<.001). Further analyses showed that depressive symptoms significantly predicted hospital admission (HR=1.67; 95% CI, 1.38-2.01), the number of admissions (incidence rate ratio [IRR]=1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.39) and total length of hospital stay (IRR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.36-2.01).

According to Prina and colleagues, many reasons may explain the higher risk for hospital admissions among older men with depression, including that patients with mood disorders are known to have poor treatment adherence, resulting in patients presenting at more acute or severe stages of their illnesses. Depression may also impede patients’ ability to communicate with their doctor, which may delay diagnoses and treatment.

The researchers said larger studies may be able to examine the link between depression and hospital admission rates.

“It is not clear whether reducing depressive symptoms would result in fewer hospital admissions, and further research is required to clarify this issue,” they wrote.

Disclosure: Study researcher Graeme J. Hankey, MD, has received funds from Boehringer Ingelheim for work on a Pradaxa advisory board and from Bayer for lectures. The other researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.