Evaluation of the association between locomotive syndrome and depressive states: a cross-sectional study

The Japanese Orthopaedic Association has proposed the term "locomotive syndrome" to designate a condition that places a person at high risk for long-term care. However, in daily clinical practice, even when a diagnosis of locomotive syndrome is made, exercise therapy often cannot be successfully performed in some patients owing to their lack of motivation. We speculated that locomotive syndrome and depressive states co-exist in elderly people. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence or absence of depressive states in older patients aged ≥ 65 years who were diagnosed with locomotive syndrome. A questionnaire survey, the 25-Question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale and Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depression was conducted. The items of the interview survey were sex, age, and history of treatment for hypertension or diabetes mellitus. For somatometry, height and body weight were measured. Patients diagnosed with locomotive syndrome (LS group) were compared with those without locomotive syndrome (non-LS group). The LS group included 99 patients, mean age was 79.4 years old, while the non-LS group included 101 patients, mean age was 76.3 years old. The number of patients with depressive states and number of females were significantly higher in the LS group. In addition, the LS group was significantly older and shorter. Multivariate analysis revealed depressive states and age to be independent factors. Therapy for patients with LS should include evaluation and, if necessary, treatment for concomitant depression.