Growth Differentiation Factor 15 and Risk of Death in Haemodialysis Patients
Table 1
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to circulating GDF-15 after an HD session.
GDF-15 below median
GDF-15 above median
value
Age (years)
60 (54–76)
69 (61–82)
0.28
Male gender
12 (80%)
13 (87%)
1.00
Weight (kg)
77 (65–89)
71 (61–76)
0.10
Body mass index (kg/m2)
27 (25–32)
24 (22–27)
0.04
Coronary artery disease
6 (40%)
6 (40%)
1.00
Peripheral artery disease
0 (0%)
5 (33%)
0.04
Heart failure
3 (20%)
2 (13%)
1.00
Atrial fibrillation
3 (20%)
5 (33%)
0.68
Diabetes mellitus
6 (40%)
5 (33%)
1.00
Neoplasia
4 (27%)
8 (53%)
0.26
Charlson comorbidity index
6 (4–8)
7 (5–9)
0.14
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
129 (113–158)
132 (123–159)
0.62
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
70 (61–79)
69 (63–81)
0.81
Heart rate (/min)
78 (68–89)
78 (69–86)
0.84
Overhydration after haemodialysis (L)
0 (−3.7–1.4)
1.6 (0.1–3)
0.05
OH/ECW > 0.15 after haemodialysis
1 (7%)
6 (40%)
0.06
Dialysis vintage (days)
868 (404–1319)
563 (189–1238)
0.59
Overhydration was quantitatively assessed with a portable whole-body bioimpedance spectroscopy device (Fresenius medical care GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany). Relevant overhydration was previously defined as a quotient of overhydration (OH) over extracellular water (ECW) > 0.15 according to the literature.
