A Study of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Ovarian Axis in Depressive Females in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Aligarh

Abstract

Background : More than 264 million individuals around the world suffer from depression, with females experiencing it twice as frequently as males. Material and Methods: Women with depression have been reported to have considerably reduced blood levels of estradiol. To determine the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), oestrogen, and progesterone in depressed women as well as any abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, we conducted this case-control study. Observation and Results: A total of 25 depressive patients and 25 matched controls who were not depressed were evaluated. The DSM-IV criteria were used to diagnose the patients. The controls, who were premenopausal women, had no history of current or previous mental disorder. The 17-point Hamilton rating scale was used to assess the severity of the depression. The 17-point Hamilton depression rating scale was used to assess the severity of the condition. Conclusion : Both in the follicular phase (p<0.05) and the luteal phase, depressed patients had significantly decreased levels of estradiol. The majority of patients had sleep difficulties, leading to recommendations to assess estradiol levels in depressed ladies and to think about hormone replacement therapy (HRT).