Association between Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

We investigated an association between serum Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) level and cardiovascular risk in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). A total of 107 participants were screened for T2D and divided into a T2D group and a control group (without diabetes). We used the Framingham risk score (FRS) and the New Pooled Cohort Equation score to estimate the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Serum GDF15 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between GDF15 level and cardiovascular risk scores. The mean serum GDF15 level was elevated in the T2D group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). A positive correlation was evident between serum GDF15 level and age (r = 0.418, P = 0.001), the FRS (r = 0.457, P < 0.001), and the Pooled Cohort Equation score (r = 0.539, P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, LDL-C level, and body mass index (BMI), the serum GDF15 level was positively correlated with the FRS and the New Pooled Cohort Equation score. The serum GDF15 level is independently associated with cardiovascular risk scores of newly diagnosed T2D patients. This suggests that the level of GDF15 may be a useful predictive biomarker of cardiovascular risk in newly diagnosed T2D patients.