Variables independently associated with higher upon-admission serum GDF15 concentrations included a history of diabetes or malignancy, admission diagnosis, and higher APACHE-II scores, sepsis, corticosteroid treatment, higher plasma creatinine and total bilirubin, and lower plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations upon-admission (R2 = 0.23, Table 2). Here, CRP is linked to diabetes mellitus.