DM was associated with increased adjusted GDF-15 level in both females and males (females: ß = 1.49, SE = 0.60, p = 0.02, males: ß = 1.34, SE = 0.56, p = 0.02), and with MMP-9 specifically in females (ß = 208.49, SE = 88.39, p = 0.02). Here, GDF15 is linked to diabetes mellitus.