BACKGROUND: Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) has been associated with obesity, muscle wasting, and cachexia. The receptor for GDF-15 was recently identified in the brainstem and regulates food intake and metabolism. The relationship of plasma GDF-15 with the age-associated decline of muscle mass and strength, gait speed, and physical performance in adults has not been well characterized. METHODS: Plasma GDF-15, grip strength, 6-m gait speed, 400-m walking test time, lower extremity physical performance score, appendicular lean mass, and fat mass were measured in 194 healthy adult participants, aged 22-93 years, of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. RESULTS: Plasma GDF-15 concentrations increased with age (p < .001) and were higher in whites compared with blacks and Asians (p = .04). Adults with higher plasma GDF-15 had slower 6-m gait speed, longer 400-m walking time, and lower physical performance score in multivariable analyses adjusting for age and race. Plasma GDF-15 was not associated with grip strength, appendicular lean mass, or fat mass. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma GDF-15 is associated with slower gait speed, higher 400-m walking time, and lower physical performance in very healthy community-dwelling adults. The relationship between plasma GDF-15 and sarcopenia-related outcomes may be stronger in the population not selected to be healthy, and this hypothesis should be tested in a representative population.
BACKGROUND: Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) has been associated with obesity, muscle wasting, and cachexia. The receptor for GDF-15 was recently identified in the brainstem and regulates food intake and metabolism. The relationship of plasma GDF-15 with the age-associated decline of muscle mass and strength, gait speed, and physical performance in adults has not been well characterized. METHODS: Plasma GDF-15, grip strength, 6-m gait speed, 400-m walking test time, lower extremity physical performance score, appendicular lean mass, and fat mass were measured in 194 healthy adult participants, aged 22-93 years, of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. RESULTS: Plasma GDF-15 concentrations increased with age (p < .001) and were higher in whites compared with blacks and Asians (p = .04). Adults with higher plasma GDF-15 had slower 6-m gait speed, longer 400-m walking time, and lower physical performance score in multivariable analyses adjusting for age and race. Plasma GDF-15 was not associated with grip strength, appendicular lean mass, or fat mass. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma GDF-15 is associated with slower gait speed, higher 400-m walking time, and lower physical performance in very healthy community-dwelling adults. The relationship between plasma GDF-15 and sarcopenia-related outcomes may be stronger in the population not selected to be healthy, and this hypothesis should be tested in a representative population.
Authors: Samuel N Breit; Heiko Johnen; Andrew D Cook; Vicky W W Tsai; Mohammad G Mohammad; Tamara Kuffner; Hong Ping Zhang; Christopher P Marquis; Lele Jiang; Glen Lockwood; Michelle Lee-Ng; Yasmin Husaini; Liyun Wu; John A Hamilton; David A Brown Journal: Growth Factors Date: 2011-08-11 Impact factor: 2.511
Authors: Asne R Bauskin; David A Brown; Simon Junankar; Krishan K Rasiah; Sarah Eggleton; Mark Hunter; Tao Liu; Dave Smith; Tamara Kuffner; Greg J Pankhurst; Heiko Johnen; Pamela J Russell; Wade Barret; Phillip D Stricker; John J Grygiel; James G Kench; Susan M Henshall; Robert L Sutherland; Samuel N Breit Journal: Cancer Res Date: 2005-03-15 Impact factor: 12.701