Relationship of growth differentiation factor-15 with aortic stiffness in essential hypertension.
Aim
We aimed to assess the relationship between echocardiographic parameters of aortic elasticity, namely aortic strain, aortic distensibility and aortic β-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 β-index; and aortic strain and aortic distensibility correlated negatively with serum GDF-15. β-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.
['Sökmen|Erdoğan|E|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8170-5912', 'Uçar|Cahit|C|', 'Sivri|Serkan|S|', 'Çelik|Mustafa|M|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4102-1564', 'Güçlü|Kenan|K|']
hypertension GDF-15 aortic elastic properties echocardiography