Urinary free cortisol excretion in elderly persons with minor and major depression

Several studies have found that cortisol hypersecretion may occur in severe ly depressed patients who are characterized by melancholic features. On the other hand, illness chronicity seems to be related to low, rather than hig h, cortisol levels. This study aims to trace factors associated with 24-h u rinary free cortisol levels in a sample of 23 elderly persons with major or minor depression and 21 non-depressed control subjects. Depressive episode s were subdivided according to severity and chronicity (i.e. length and rec urrence). None of the depressed persons showed unusually high 24-h cortisol levels, and cortisol excretion was not elevated as compared with that in t he control group, regardless of subtype of depression. The results suggest, however, that hyposecretion of cortisol may be a feature of chronic depres sive episodes, especially in males. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.