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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 10, 2025
GDF 15--A Novel Biomarker in the Offing for Heart Failure
Melvin George1, Amrita Jena, Varsha Srivatsan
1SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre-Cardiology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. melvin.g@ktr.srmuniv.ac.in.
Background:
Several diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are being explored in heart failure. GDF-15 belongs to the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) cytokine family that is highly up regulated in inflammatory conditions. We undertook this systematic review to summarize the current evidence on the utility of GDF-15 as a biomarker in heart failure.
Design And Methods:
Multiple electronic databases for studies that reported the association between GDF- 15 and heart failure were searched using different electronic databases such as MEDLINE, Science Direct, Springer Link, Scopus, Cochrane Reviews, and Google Scholar using pre-defined inclusion- exclusion criteria.
Results:
Twenty one original studies were identified that included data from 20,920 study participants. GDF 15 was found to be a strong prognosticator of all-cause mortality in heart failure patients. Several studies found the benefit of using GDF-15 as a component of a multi-biomarker strategy in prognosticating patients with heart failure.
Conclusion:
More studies are warranted to elucidate the molecular pathways involving GDF-15 and to see how knowledge about GDF-15 can be used to make therapeutic decisions in the clinic.
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