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Late-life depression (LLD) is a multifactorial disorder, with susceptibility and vulnerability potentially influenced by gene-environment interaction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is associated with LLD. The sample of 353 participants aged 65 years and over was randomly selected from the list of Kaunas city inhabitants by Residents' Register Service of Lithuania. Depressive symptoms were ascertained using the EURO-D scale. The List of Threatening Events Questionnaire was used to identify stressful life events that happened over the last 6 months and during lifetime. A 5-HTTLPR and lifetime stressful events interaction was indicated by higher odds of depression in those with s/s genotype who experienced high stress compared to l/l carriers with low or medium stress, while 5-HTTLPR and current stressful events interaction analysis revealed that carriers of either one or two copies of the s allele had increased odds of depressive symptoms associated with stress compared to participants with the l/l genotype not exposed to stressful situations. Although no significant direct association was found between the 5-HTTLPR short allele and depression, our findings demonstrated that lifetime or current stressful life events and their modification by 5-HTTLPR genotype are risk factors for late-life depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Our aim was to study the nutritional status of older men receiving treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC).Method: We assessed 80 patients: 40 patients with advanced PC (research group) and 40 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (control group). The instruments used were: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-Short Form. Complementary questions were asked reflecting nutritional status.Results: Mean age of PC patients was 72 (65-94) years and that of control group 71 (65-85) years. Patients with PC had rapid weight loss--15 (39.5%) of patients lost more than 3 kg over 3 months. Depressive symptomatology was more common in the research group (p<0.05), and it was inversely correlated with nutrition. Age had no influence on symptoms of depression. Digestive disorders troubled 23 (57.5%) of the research group and 14 (20%) of the control group. Digestive troubles had an influence on appetite in both groups t=0.54 and r=0.46 (p<0.05). No patient who had digestive symptoms was instructed as to how to control them.Conclusions: Among PC patients, 50% were at risk of malnutrition compared to 7.5% in the BPH group, as assessed by the MNA questionnaire. Patients suffering from PC were more depressed than those with BPH. A higher degree of depressive symptomatology was related to poorer nutritional status. Assessment of nutritional status is important and should be routinely performed in older men with PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]