Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Association of Physical Frailty With Serum Growth Differentiation Factor-15 and Cognitive Decline: A Cross-Sectional
Kazuhiro Yoshiura1, Yosuke Osuka1, Kaori Kinoshita1
1Department of Frailty Research, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, Research Institute, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan.
Aim:
Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a biomarker reflecting aging and cellular stress, associated with physical frailty and cognitive decline. We cross-sectionally examined whether physical frailty is involved in the association between GDF-15 and cognitive decline. Understanding this association may help to consider frailty-related cognitive decline and potential preventive approaches.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 134 participants aged 65 years or older, excluding those with severe renal dysfunction, immune-related diseases, and those with dementia or suspected dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score ≤ 23). Serum GDF-15 levels were measured, and cognitive decline was assessed using the MMSE with a cutoff score of 27 or lower. Physical frailty was evaluated using the revised Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study criteria comprising five components: shrinking, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, and low activity.
Results:
A mediation analysis adjusted for age, sex, and education showed a significant indirect effect of GDF-15 on cognitive decline through physical frailty (β = 0.921, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.279-1.560). The total effect was also significant (β = 1.020, 95% CI: 0.030-2.010), whereas the direct effect was not significant (β = 0.100, 95% CI: -0.991 to 1.190).
Conclusions:
This study suggests a potential involvement of physical frailty in the relationship between serum GDF-15 levels and cognitive decline. Serum GDF-15 levels may have potential as a clinical indicator for frailty-related cognitive decline in the future. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore this relationship and clarify the role of GDF-15.
More Related Videos
08:35Shuttle Box Assay as an Associative Learning Tool for Cognitive Assessment in Learning and Memory Studies using Adult Zebrafish
Published on: July 12, 2021
07:27Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Cross-Sectional Research
Finding Volume Using Cross-Sectional Area
Profile Leveling and Cross Sections
Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
Factors Influencing Attraction II: Physical Attraction
Magnetic Declination