title: Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 is predictive of combined cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes at a relatively short-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesised that serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), a novel adipokine with postulated insulin-sensitizing effects, may be predictive of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2) at a relatively short-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum FGF-21 levels were assessed in 87 DM2 patients, aged 57-66 years, with the median duration of diabetes of 10 years, who were referred to the Department of Endocrinology for routine annual metabolic assessment. During a follow-up of 24 months, overall mortality, CV mortality and CV nonfatal events were registered. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed adjusted differences in CV morbidity and mortality risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients stratified according to serum FGF-21 levels ≤ and > the median value of 240.7 pg/mL showed no significant differences at baseline in gender distribution, diabetes duration, insulin therapy, BMI, biochemical profiles and previous CV events. At 24-month follow-up, 21 (24.1%) patients experienced a nonfatal CV event. A significantly (P=0.0013) higher incidence of the combined end point of CV morbidity and mortality was observed in the FGF-21>240.7 pg/mL group. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model, the presence of FGF-21>the median value was associated with a significant increase in the risk of the combined end point of CV morbidity and mortality (HR: 4.7, 95% CI 1.67-13.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results support the prognostic value of FGF-21 in DM2 and may provide a useful tool for stratification of CV prognosis in DM2 patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. monlenlip@gmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenart-Lipińska
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matyjaszek-Matuszek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gernand
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowakowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors
keywords: Cardiovascular morbidity; Cardiovascular mortality; Cardiovascular risk; Fibroblast growth factor 21; Type 2 diabetes