Relationship Between Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Levels and Micro-Atrial Fibrillation

Hüseyin Orta; Cihan Aydın; Aykut Demirkıran; Hüseyin Aykaç; Ahsen Yılmaz

doi:10.18621/eurj.1807849

Relationship Between Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Levels and Micro-Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Objectives: Micro-atrial fibrillation (micro-AF) represents short, irregular supraventricular tachyarrhythmia episodes that may precede clinical atrial fibrillation (AF). Identifying biomarkers associated with micro-AF could improve early detection and risk stratification. Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15), a stress-responsive cytokine related to inflammation and myocardial injury, has been associated with AF, but its relationship with micro-AF remains unclear.

Methods: Ninety patients who underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring due to palpitations were enrolled. Forty-five patients with micro-AF and 45 controls without supraventricular tachyarrhythmia were compared. Serum GDF-15 levels and clinical characteristics were analyzed using standard statistical methods, including logistic regression analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses.

Results: The groups were similar in age, sex, and comorbidities. Prior stroke was significantly more frequent in the micro-AF group (28.8% vs. 6.7%, P<0.001). Mean serum GDF-15 levels were significantly higher in patients with micro-AF than in controls (544.2±322.5 vs. 344±138.8 pg/mL, P<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that GDF-15 was associated with stroke risk in univariate analysis but not independently in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: Elevated GDF-15 levels in individuals with micro-AF suggest an underlying inflammatory or structural atrial substrate, supporting its potential role as a biomarker for early arrhythmia detection and assessment of thromboembolic risk. Larger, prospective studies are warranted to clarify the prognostic significance of GDF-15 in micro-AF.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2025.154.09.02; date: 30.09.2025). All procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Informed consent was waived because of the retrospective nature of the study and the analysis used anonymous clinical data.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cardiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Hüseyin Orta
0000-0003-4948-6411
Türkiye

Cihan Aydın ^*
0000-0002-1401-5727
Türkiye

Aykut Demirkıran
0000-0001-8322-3514
Türkiye

Hüseyin Aykaç
0000-0003-4374-5603
Türkiye

Ahsen Yılmaz
0000-0002-2270-2965
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

December 31, 2025

Publication Date

December 31, 2025

Submission Date

October 21, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 20, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1807849

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA77LC29AC

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

AMA

1.Orta H, Aydın C, Demirkıran A, Aykaç H, Yılmaz A. Relationship Between Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Levels and Micro-Atrial Fibrillation. Eur Res J. 2025;(Advanced Online Publication):1-7. doi:10.18621/eurj.1807849