Association of GDF-15 level with cardiovascular risk factors in peritoneal dialysis patients

Background Patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) face elevated risks of cardiovascular complications and mortality. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has emerged as a potential biomarker for predicting chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between GDF-15 and other CVD risk factors in PD patients remains unknown. Methods In this cross-sectional observational study, 114 PD patients aged over 18 years were enrolled between May 2024 and May 2025. Participants were stratified into two groups based on plasma GDF-15 levels using a cutoff value of 3.634 ng/mL. Group comparisons were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests or independent samples t -tests. Correlation analyses (Pearson or Spearman) were conducted to evaluate associations between GDF-15 and CVD-related parameters. Multivariate regression was further employed to identify independent determinants of GDF-15. Results Compared with the low GDF-15 group, patients in the high GDF-15 group exhibited significantly elevated levels of galectin-3 and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), along with greater interventricular septal thickness (IVST). Conversely, the high GDF-15 group demonstrated significantly lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but a higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between GDF-15 and BNP, galectin-3, and IVST, while inverse correlations were observed with GFR and LVEF. In multivariate analysis, BNP, IVST, and LVEF were identified as independent determinants of GDF-15 levels. Conclusions Our findings support a strong association between elevated GDF-15 levels and multiple cardiovascular risk factors in PD patients. These results suggest that GDF-15 may serve as a useful predictive biomarker for cardiovascular disease in this clinical population.