Background: The rates of co-morbid depression with elderly diabetes are reportedly high. Although the intake of several nutrients has been suggested to be associated with depressive symptoms, the chronic effects of carbohydrate intake on mood remain unclear. In the current study, the association of the carbohydrate energy/total energy (C/E ratio) and other factors with depressive mood in the diabetic elderly were investigated.
Patients and methods: The data from elderly diabetics (299 males and 354 females) were analyzed. Single and multiple logistic regression analyses to search for associations with depressive mood, defined by GDS-15 scores of 6 and higher, were performed.
Results: In women, a higher CE ratio, history of cerebrovascular disease, and lower activities of daily living were statistically significantly associated with depressive mood. In men, the CE ratio was not significantly associated with depressive mood.
Conclusions: A higher CE ratio was significantly associated with depressive mood in elderly diabetic women, but not in men.