title: Association between GDF-15 levels and changes in vascular and physical function in older patients with hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) may be a biomarker of disease, protective response and/or prognosis, in older people with hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To correlate baseline GDF-15 levels with physical and vascular health data in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline blood samples were analysed using a GDF-15 ELISA assay kit. Correlations with baseline and 12-month outcome data, including measures of physical and vascular function, were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 147 individuals, mean age 76.8 ± 4.7 years, were included. 77 (52 %) were male. Baseline log10GDF-15 showed significant correlations with age (r = 0.37, p < 0.001), total cholesterol (r = -0.33, p < 0.001) and 6-min walking distance (r = -0.37, p < 0.001). Age remained significantly associated with log10GDF-15 in multivariable analysis (beta = -0.29, p = 0.001). Baseline log10GDF-15 was significantly associated with decline in 6-min walk distance over 12 months (beta = -0.27, p = 0.01) in multivariable models. No significant correlations were seen with changes in vascular function over 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline GDF-15 predicts declining physical, but not vascular, function in our population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK. m.barma@dundee.ac.uk.|Ageing and Health, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK. m.barma@dundee.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0081-6061
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barma
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Faisel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Rosemary J G
authors.initials: RJG
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Dundee Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Donnan
authors.affiliation: Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: C Martina
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Messow
authors.affiliation: Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McConnachie
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Allan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Struthers
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Marion E T
authors.initials: MET
authors.lastname: McMurdo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Miles D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Witham
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C526140:GDF15 protein, human; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15
keywords: Ageing; Biomarker; Cardiovascular disease; Frailty; Inflammation