Miji Kim1, Jeremy D Walston2,3, Chang Won Won3. 1. Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, College of Medicine, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. 2. Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 3. Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is associated with disease progression, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mortality. Elevated GDF-15 level was recently reported to be associated with poorer physical performance in healthy adults. However, the association between serum GDF-15 level and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults has not been well characterized. METHODS: We conducted cross-sectional (n = 929) and 2-year prospective analyses (n = 788) among participants aged 70-84 years enrolled in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Participants with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were excluded. Appendicular lean mass was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia status was determined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 algorithm. RESULTS: At baseline, 16.6% of the participants had sarcopenia. Median GDF-15 concentration was higher in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group (1221 pg/mL vs 1019 pg/mL, p < .001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for cardiometabolic risk and biological factors, the highest GDF-15 tertile (≥1245 pg/mL) had an increased likelihood of sarcopenia (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-3.33) than the lowest tertile (<885 pg/mL). During the 2-year follow-up period, 67 (10.1%) individuals without sarcopenia at baseline developed sarcopenia. There were no significant associations between baseline serum GDF-15 levels and incident sarcopenia or its components (all p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated GDF-15 was associated with prevalent sarcopenia but not able to predict incident sarcopenia in the 2-year follow-up. Further studies are needed to explore the pathophysiological roles of GDF-15 in the development of sarcopenia.
BACKGROUND: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is associated with disease progression, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mortality. Elevated GDF-15 level was recently reported to be associated with poorer physical performance in healthy adults. However, the association between serum GDF-15 level and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults has not been well characterized. METHODS: We conducted cross-sectional (n = 929) and 2-year prospective analyses (n = 788) among participants aged 70-84 years enrolled in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Participants with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were excluded. Appendicular lean mass was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia status was determined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 algorithm. RESULTS: At baseline, 16.6% of the participants had sarcopenia. Median GDF-15 concentration was higher in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group (1221 pg/mL vs 1019 pg/mL, p < .001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for cardiometabolic risk and biological factors, the highest GDF-15 tertile (≥1245 pg/mL) had an increased likelihood of sarcopenia (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-3.33) than the lowest tertile (<885 pg/mL). During the 2-year follow-up period, 67 (10.1%) individuals without sarcopenia at baseline developed sarcopenia. There were no significant associations between baseline serum GDF-15 levels and incident sarcopenia or its components (all p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated GDF-15 was associated with prevalent sarcopenia but not able to predict incident sarcopenia in the 2-year follow-up. Further studies are needed to explore the pathophysiological roles of GDF-15 in the development of sarcopenia.
Authors: Neeti Agarwal; Claudia E Ramirez Bustamante; Huaizhu Wu; Reina Armamento-Villareal; Jordan E Lake; Ashok Balasubramanyam; Sean M Hartig Journal: Physiol Rep Date: 2022-05