Growth-differentiation factor-15 for risk stratification in patients with stable and unstable coronary heart disease:

Tibor Kempf1, Jan-Malte Sinning, Anja Quint

  • 1Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Insights

Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) predicts coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in stable and acute patients. Higher GDF-15 levels indicate increased CHD mortality risk, improving risk prediction models.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarkers
  • Translational Medicine

Background:

  • Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive cytokine.
  • GDF-15 is a known prognostic biomarker in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) populations.
  • Its predictive value in stable coronary heart disease (CHD) has not been previously assessed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the predictive role of GDF-15 in stable coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To evaluate GDF-15 as a prognostic biomarker across the spectrum of CHD.

Main Methods:

  • Circulating GDF-15 levels were measured using immunoradiometric assay.
  • Patients with stable angina pectoris (n=1352) and ACS (n=877) were followed for a median of 3.6 years.
  • Cox-regression analysis adjusted for multiple clinical and biochemical variables.

Main Results:

  • In stable angina patients, GDF-15 levels independently predicted CHD mortality (P<0.001).
  • Elevated GDF-15 levels ( >1800 ng/L) were associated with significantly higher 3.6-year CHD mortality rates (15.0%).
  • GDF-15 improved the prognostic accuracy of clinical risk prediction models for CHD mortality (c-statistic, 0.84 vs 0.74; P=0.005).
  • GDF-15 did not predict nonfatal myocardial infarction risk.

Conclusions:

  • GDF-15 is a strong and independent predictor of CHD mortality in both stable and unstable CHD patients.
  • GDF-15 offers significant prognostic value across the spectrum of coronary heart disease.
  • The study identifies GDF-15 as a key biomarker for assessing CHD mortality risk.
Abstract

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