Evidence mapPaperPMID 40425511Full record

ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2026

Baseline Plasma Growth-differentiation Factor 15 and Recovery of Physical Function Following Total Knee Replacement in the Study of Physical Resilience and Aging.

William A Fountain, Nicholas Milcik, Nicholas Schmedding, Karen Bandeen-Roche, Mallak K Alzahrani, Brian Buta, Meredith Dobrosielski, Jackie Langdon, Frederick Sieber, Julius K Oni and 4 more

Abstract read
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Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

William A FountainDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7995-8160
Nicholas MilcikDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Nicholas SchmeddingDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Karen Bandeen-RocheCenter on Aging and Health, Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Mallak K AlzahraniDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Brian ButaDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0752-2456
Meredith DobrosielskiDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Jackie LangdonDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Frederick SieberDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9121-4607
Julius K OniDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Thomas LaskowDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Qian-Li XueDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8818-7444
Ravi VaradhanCenter on Aging and Health, Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8434-1034
Jeremy WalstonDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Funding

Technological Assessment and Solutions Core - RC4P30AG021334 · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2003 to 2025
$6.1M
Translational Aging Research Training ProgramT32AG058527 · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2025 to 2025
$612k
NIA NIH HHSNIA NIH HHS P30 AG021334NIA NIH HHS T32 AG058527NIA NIH HHS UH2 AG056933NIA NIH HHS UH3 AG056933NIH HHS P30 AG021334NIH HHS T32 AG058527NIH HHS UH2 AG056933NIH HHS UH3 AG056933
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGrowth-differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a cytokine with the ability to regulate metabolic and inflammatory activity, is negatively associated with physical and cognitive function, and increases in circulation with age. Mechanistically, the expression of GDF15 is stimulated by mitochondrial stress across multiple tissues.

methodsWe hypothesized elevations in basal circulating GDF15 were negatively associated with physical function following surgery in older adults. This was assessed in 112 Study of Physical Resilience and Aging participants (age 69.6 ± 6.9 years, 66% women) undergoing total knee replacement (RESilience in TOtal knee REplacement). The associations between preoperative plasma GDF15 levels and longitudinal postoperative physical resilience measures including the Short Physical Performance Battery and Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale were evaluated.

resultsAt baseline, higher circulating GDF15 levels were associated with older age, higher body mass index, diabetes, and physical frailty (p < .05). Circulating GDF15 levels were not associated with Short Physical Performance Battery or Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale scores prior to knee replacement (p > .05). Higher baseline circulating GDF15 levels were negatively associated with the recovery of Short Physical Performance Battery scores 6 months following knee replacement (p < .05). However, there was no significant association between baseline circulating GDF15 levels and the recovery of Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale scores within the same timeframe (p > .05). There were no significant associations between baseline circulating GDF15 and recovery of Short Physical Performance Battery or Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale scores at 1 month or 12 months follow-up (p > .05).

conclusionsThese findings suggest that preoperative circulating GDF15 levels may provide some insight into the capacity to recover physical function following total knee replacement surgery. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate relationships between GDF15 and the biology of physical resilience.

Indexed as

AgingArthroplasty, Replacement, KneeGrowth Differentiation Factor 15Physical Functional PerformanceRecovery of FunctionAgedBiomarkersFemaleHumansMaleOsteoarthritis, KneeBiomarkersGDF15 protein, humanGrowth Differentiation Factor 15BiomarkerCytokinesMobilitySurgery

Identifiers

PMID40425511
PMCPMC12434497

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.