Relationship of growth differentiation factor-15 with aortic stiffness in essential hypertension

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to assess the relationship between echocardiographic parameters of aortic elasticity, namely aortic strain, aortic distensibility and aortic beta-index, and serum growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 in patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension (HT). Methods: Grade-1 HT patients (n = 50), grade-2 HT (n = 70) patients and 35 healthy controls were included. Results: GDF-15 was greater in grade-2 HT group compared with the other groups. All aortic elasticity parameters were worse in grade-2 HT group compared with the other groups. GDF-15 correlated positively with E/E ratio (the ratio of transmitral E velocity to mean diastolic mitral annular velocity) and beta-index; and aortic strain and aortic distensibility correlated negatively with serum GDF-15. beta-index, aortic diastolic diameter and diastolic blood pressure were independently associated with GDF-15. Conclusion: GDF-15 may be utilized in the prediction of increased aortic stiffness. Lay abstract: Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and is closely associated with impaired arterial and aortic elasticity. Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 is a novel marker of cardiovascular diseases, and appeals more and more to the researchers. In the present study, we evaluated the relationship of GDF-15 with echocardiographic parameters regarding aortic stiffness, namely aortic beta-index, aortic distensibility and aortic strain in 120 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. We found that serum GDF-15 was correlated with impaired aortic elasticity; moreover, it turned out to be a potent predictor of an increased aortic beta-index in hypertension. [GRAPHICS]