Also, there were no differences in the GDF-15 levels between male (n = 46) and female (n = 12) patients (Supplementary Figure S2A); smoking status (smoking vs. nonsmoking, n = 15 and n = 44, respectively) (Supplementary Figure S2B); patients with (n = 38) and without (n = 20) hypertension (Supplementary Figure S2C); and patients with (n = 14) and without diabetes (n = 45) (Supplementary Figure S2D). Here, GDF15 is linked to hypertensive disorder.