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Published on: January 7, 2018
Circulating GDF15 levels reflect metabolic and inflammatory burden in early dysglycemia: findings from the ADIOS
Ji Yoon Kim1, Ah Hyeon Lee2, Jiyoon Lee3
1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Aims:
To investigate whether circulating growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) measured at diagnosis reflects the overall metabolic burden in early dysglycemia.
Methods:
Baseline data from the prospective Anam Diabetes Observational Study were analyzed in 281 treatment-naive adults with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), prediabetes, or newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Participants with early dysglycemia were categorized into tertiles of circulating GDF15 levels. Correlation and multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated associations between GDF15 levels and predefined metabolic abnormalities.
Results:
The circulating levels of GDF15 increased progressively from NGT to prediabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Among individuals with early dysglycemia, the highest GDF15 tertile was independently associated with increased odds of central obesity (adjusted OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.19-5.63) and elevated HOMA2-IR (adjusted OR: 4.12, 95% CI: 1.70-9.99), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (adjusted OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.22-5.92), and fatty liver index (adjusted OR: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.22-6.18). The prevalence of multiple metabolic abnormalities increased stepwise across the GDF15 tertiles.
Conclusions:
Circulating levels of GDF15 measured at diagnosis reflect the burden of adverse metabolic and inflammatory traits in individuals with early dysglycemia, and may serve as an integrated indicator of metabolic health early in the disease course.
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