Available online 30 July 2022, 101380

People with type 2 diabetes have metabolic disorders

If GDF-15 related to the risk of CVD and cancer in people with diabetes remains unclear

GDF-15 levels were related to increased risk of CVD and cancer morbidity and mortality

GDF-15 is a marker for the dual risk of CVD and cancer in people with diabetes

: To investigate the relationship between circulating growth-differentiation factor (GDF-15) levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in people with diabetes.

: Totally, 510 participants with type 2 diabetes were enrolled from the long-term follow-up of the Da Qing Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) and Diabetes Study (2006–2009). Plasma GDF-15 levels were assessed. Outcomes of cardiovascular events, cancer, and related death were followed up until 2016.

: Over a 7.5-year follow-up period, 143 (28.0%) of the participants died, and 155 and 56 experienced cardiovascular events and cancer respectively. Multivariable Cox analysis showed that higher circulating GDF-15 levels were significantly associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular and cancer death. The HRs after adjustment of traditional confounders were 1.90 (95% CI 1.31–2.74) and 2.50 (95% CI 1.34–4.67) respectively for an increase in one unit of loge transformed GDF-15 (pg/ml). The cause-specific hazard model analysis further confirmed the results after adjusting the same confounders. In addition, the higher GDF-15 levels were also significantly associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular events (HR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.04–1.76) and cancer (HR=1.62, 95% CI 1.06–2.47).

: Elevated circulating levels of GDF-15 predicted a significant increase in the dual risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes. Thus, it may be a potential predictor of these outcomes in people with diabetes.

GDF-15, cardiovascular events, cardiovascular death, cancer, cancer death List of abbreviations: GDF-15, growth differentiation factor-15

HR, hazard ratios

CI, confidence interval

SD, standard deviation

MACE, major adverse cardiovascular events

HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin

LDL-c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

DM, diabetes mellitus

SBP, systolic blood pressure

© 2022 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.