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Serum Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Levels Are Associated With Depression After Ischemic Stroke

Yuhan Zang1, Zhengbao Zhu1,2, Yi Xie1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology School of Public Health and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases Medical College of Soochow University Suzhou China.

Journal of the American Heart Association
|December 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Elevated serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is linked to a higher risk of poststroke depression (PSD) within three months after ischemic stroke. GDF-15 may serve as a key biomarker for predicting PSD development.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Biomarkers
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • The relationship between serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) and poststroke depression (PSD) is not well understood.
  • Investigating GDF-15's role is crucial for understanding depression after ischemic stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between serum GDF-15 levels and the incidence of PSD in patients following ischemic stroke.
  • To determine if GDF-15 can serve as a prognostic biomarker for PSD.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a random sample of 572 patients from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke (CATIS).
  • Serum GDF-15 levels were measured, and depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (score ≥8) at 3 months post-stroke.
  • Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between GDF-15 and PSD.

Main Results:

  • Poststroke depression (PSD) occurred in 40.4% of patients (231 out of 572) within 3 months.
  • The highest tertile of serum GDF-15 was associated with a significantly increased odds ratio for PSD (2.92; 95% CI, 1.36-6.27) compared to the lowest tertile.
  • A linear association was observed between serum GDF-15 levels and the risk of PSD (P for linearity=0.006), with each SD increase in log-transformed GDF-15 linked to a 42% increased risk.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated serum GDF-15 levels during the acute phase of ischemic stroke are independently associated with an increased risk of developing PSD.
  • Serum GDF-15 shows potential as a valuable prognostic biomarker for identifying patients at risk of poststroke depression.

Keywords:
Hamilton rating scale for depressionacute ischemic strokegrowth differentiation factor 15poststroke depression

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