scholarly journals The Relationship between Blood Lipids and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: Univariable and Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Shengyi Yang ◽  
Rupak Pudasaini ◽  
Hong Zhi ◽  
Lina Wang

We performed univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the association between blood lipids and risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), Apolipoprotein A1, and Apolipoprotein B. Methods: Data on the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to blood lipids were obtained from the UK Biobank study with more than 300,000 subjects of White British European ancestry, and data for AF were from the latest meta-analysis of Genome-wide association study (GWASs) with six independent cohorts with more than 1,000,000 subjects of European ancestry. The univariable MR analysis was conducted to explore whether genetic evidence of individual lipid-related traits was significantly associated with AF risks and multivariable MR analysis with three models was performed to assess the independent effects of lipid-related traits. Results: The IVW estimate showed that genetically predicted LDL-C (OR: 1.016, 95% CI: 0.962–1.073, p = 0.560), HDL-C (OR: 0.951, 95% CI: 0.895–1.010, p = 0.102), TG (OR: 0.961, 95% CI: 0.889–1.038, p = 0.313), Apolipoprotein A1 (OR: 0.978, 95% CI: 0.933–1.025, p = 0.356), and Apolipoprotein B (OR: 1.008, 95% CI: 0.959–1.070, p = 0.794) were not causally associated with the risk of AF. Sample mode (OR: 0.852, 95% CI: 0.731–0.993, p = 0.043) and weighted mode (OR: 0.907, 95% CI: 0.841–0.979, p = 0.013) showed that a 1-unit increase in TG (mmol/L) was causally associated with a 14.8% and 9.3% relative decrease in AF risk, respectively. The multivariable MR analysis with model 1, 2, and 3 indicated that TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, Apolipoprotein A1, and Apolipoprotein B were not associated with the lower risk for AF. Conclusions: Our multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis (MVMR) finding suggested no genetic evidence of lipid traits was significantly associated with AF risk. Furthermore, more work is warranted to confirm the potential association between lipid traits and AF risks.

Author(s):  
Kun Zhang ◽  
Shan-Shan Dong ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Shi-Hao Tang ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
...  

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It has been reported that dyslipidemia is correlated with COVID-19, and blood lipids levels, including total cholesterol, HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels, were significantly associated with disease severity. However, the causalities of blood lipids on COVID-19 are not clear. Approach and Results: We performed 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the causal effects of blood lipids on COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Using the outcome data from the UK Biobank (1221 cases and 4117 controls), we observed potential positive causal effects of dyslipidemia (odds ratio [OR], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.08–1.49], P =3.18×10 −3 ), total cholesterol (OR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.07–1.32], P =8.54×10 −4 ), and ApoB (apolipoprotein B; OR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.07–1.29], P =1.01×10 −3 ) on COVID-19 susceptibility after Bonferroni correction. In addition, the effects of total cholesterol (OR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.02], P =2.29×10 −2 ) and ApoB (OR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.02], P =2.22×10 −2 ) on COVID-19 susceptibility were also identified using outcome data from the host genetics initiative (14 134 cases and 1 284 876 controls). Conclusions: In conclusion, we found that higher total cholesterol and ApoB levels might increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.


Author(s):  
Xikun Han ◽  
Jue-Sheng Ong ◽  
Alex W Hewitt ◽  
Puya Gharahkhani ◽  
Stuart MacGregor

Abstract Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss. Whereas lipids have been studied extensively to understand their effects on cardiovascular diseases, their relationship with AMD remains unclear. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to systematically evaluate the causal relationships between eight serum lipid biomarkers, consisting of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), total cholesterol (CHOL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), direct low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein A [Lp(a)], triglycerides (TG) and non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and the risk of different AMD stages and subtypes. We derived 64–407 genetic instruments for eight serum lipid biomarkers in 419 649 participants of European descent from the UK Biobank cohort. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 12 711 advanced AMD cases [8544 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and 2656 geographic atrophy (GA) specific AMD subtypes] and 5336 intermediate AMD cases with 14 590 controls of European descent from the International AMD Genomics Consortium. Results Higher genetically predicted HDL-C and ApoA1 levels increased the risk of all AMD subtypes. LDL-C, ApoB, CHOL and non-HDL-C levels were associated with decreased risk of intermediate and GA AMD but not with CNV. Genetically predicted TG levels were associated with decreased risk of different AMD subtypes. Sensitivity analyses revealed no evidence for directional pleiotropy effects. In our multivariable MR analyses, adjusting for the effects of correlated lipid biomarkers yielded similar results. Conclusion These results suggest the role of lipid metabolism in drusen formation and particularly in AMD development at the early and intermediate stages. Mechanistic studies are warranted to investigate the utility of lipid pathways for therapeutic treatment in preventing AMD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1457-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Dar Hwang ◽  
Deborah A Lawlor ◽  
Rachel M Freathy ◽  
David M Evans ◽  
Nicole M Warrington

Abstract Background The intrauterine environment is critical for fetal growth and development. However, observational associations between maternal gestational lipid concentrations and offspring birth weight (BW) have been inconsistent and ascertaining causality is challenging. Methods We used a novel two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to estimate the causal effect of maternal gestational high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride concentrations on offspring BW. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum HDL-C, LDL-C and triglyceride concentrations identified in the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium genome-wide association study meta-analysis (n = 188 577 European-ancestry individuals; sample 1) were selected as instrumental variables. The effects of these SNPs on offspring BW were estimated using a structural equation model in the UK Biobank and Early Growth Genetics consortium (n = 230 069 European-ancestry individuals; sample 2) that enabled partitioning of the genetic associations into maternal- (intrauterine) and fetal-specific effects. Results We found no evidence for a causal effect of maternal gestational HDL-C, LDL-C or triglyceride concentrations on offspring BW [standard deviation change in BW per standard deviation higher in HDL-C = −0.005 (95% confidence interval: −0.039, 0.029), LDL-C = 0.014 (−0.017, 0.045), and triglycerides = 0.014 (−0.025, 0.052)]. Conclusions Our findings suggest that maternal gestational HDL-C, LDL-C and triglyceride concentrations play a limited role in determining offspring BW. However, we cannot comment on the impact of these and other lipid fractions on fetal development more generally. Our study illustrates the power and flexibility of two-sample MR in assessing the causal effect of maternal environmental exposures on offspring outcomes.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Segun Fatumo ◽  
Ville Karhunen ◽  
Tinashe Chikowore ◽  
Toure Sounkou ◽  
Brenda Udosen ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose: Metabolic traits affect ischemic stroke (IS) risk, but the degree to which this varies across different ethnic ancestries is not known. Our aim was to apply Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal effects of type 2 diabetes (T2D) liability and lipid traits on IS risk in African ancestry individuals, and to compare them to estimates obtained in European ancestry individuals. Methods: For African ancestry individuals, genetic proxies for T2D liability and circulating lipids were obtained from a meta-analysis of the African Partnership for Chronic Disease Research study, the UK Biobank, and the Million Veteran Program (total N=77 061). Genetic association estimates for IS risk were obtained from the Consortium of Minority Population Genome-Wide Association Studies of Stroke (3734 cases and 18 317 controls). For European ancestry individuals, genetic proxies for the same metabolic traits were obtained from Million Veteran Program (lipids N=297 626, T2D N=148 726 cases, and 965 732 controls), and genetic association estimates for IS risk were obtained from the MEGASTROKE study (34 217 cases and 406 111 controls). Random-effects inverse-variance weighted Mendelian randomization was used as the main method, complemented with sensitivity analyses more robust to pleiotropy. Results: Higher genetically proxied T2D liability, LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), total cholesterol and lower genetically proxied HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were associated with increased risk of IS in African ancestry individuals (odds ratio per doubling the odds of T2D liability [95% CI], 1.09 [1.07–1.11]; per standard-deviation increase in LDL-C, 1.12 [1.04–1.21]; total cholesterol: 1.23 [1.06–1.43]; HDL-C, 0.93 [0.89–0.99]). There was no evidence for differences in these estimates when performing analyses in European ancestry individuals. Conclusions: Our analyses support a causal effect of T2D liability and lipid traits on IS risk in African ancestry individuals, with Mendelian randomization estimates similar to those obtained in European ancestry individuals.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Chen ◽  
Tongde Wu ◽  
Song Guo ◽  
Junwen Huang ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundIn recent decades, the serum lipid profile of apolipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) level and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio (Apo B/ApoA1) ratio were found more representative for serum lipid level and were recognized as the independent risk factors for various diseases. Although the serum lipid levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were found associated with symptomatic IDH, no studies have been conducted to date for the evaluation of the association of Apo AI, Apo B, Lp(a) and Apo B/Apo AI levels with symptomatic IDH.MaterialsA total of 1,839 Chinese patients were recruited in the present study. 918 patients were diagnosed as IDH cases and were enrolled in the experimental group. A control group of 921 patients underwent a physical examination during the same period. The serum lipid levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, Lp(a), Apo B and Apo B/Apo AI were examined and analyzed.ResultsThe patients in the control group were collected randomly from patients who were matched with the baseline levels of the aforementioned lipid molecular. The patients with IDH exhibited significantly higher TC, TG, LDL, Apo B and Lp(a) levels compared with the control subjects. The percentage of high-TC, high-TG, high-LDL, high-Apo B and high-Lp(a) were significantly higher in the IDH group. However, hyperlipidaemia was not associated with the degenerated segment of the IDH (P=0.201). The odds ratios (OR) for the incidence of IDH with an elevated LDL-C, TC, TG, Lp(a), Apo B and Apo B/Apo AI were 1.583, 1.74, 1.62, 1.58, 1.49 and 1.39, respectively. The correlation analysis revealed the correlation between elevated LDL-C, TC, TG, Apo B, Lp(a) and incidence of IDH was significant (R2LDL=0.017; R2TC=0.004; R2TG=0.015; R2Apo B=0.004; R2LP(a)=0.021) (P<0.05). ConclusionsThe present study suggests that elevated levels of serum TC, TG, LDL, Apo B, Lp(a) and Apo B/Apo AI are associated with a higher risk for IDH.


Endocrinology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjun Wang ◽  
Ping Guo ◽  
Lu Liu ◽  
Yanan Zhang ◽  
Ping Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract The association between thyroid function and dyslipidemia has been well documented in observational studies. However, observational studies are prone to confounding, making it difficult to conduct causal inference. We performed a two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) using summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and blood lipids. We chose inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as main analysis, and consolidated results through various sensitivity analyses involving six different MR methods under different model specifications. We further conducted genetic correlation analysis and colocalization analysis to deeply reflect the causality. The IVW method showed per one standard deviation (SD) increase in normal TSH was significantly associated with a 0.048 SD increase in total cholesterol (TC; P &lt; 0.001) and a 0.032 SD increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL; P = 0.021). Per one SD increase in normal FT4 was significantly associated with a 0.056 SD decrease in TC (P = 0.014) and a 0.072 SD decrease in LDL (P = 0.009). Neither TSH nor FT4 showed causal associations with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides (TG). No significant causal effect of blood lipids on normal TSH or FT4 can be detected. All results were largely consistent when using several alternative MR methods, and were re-confirmed by both genetic correlation analysis and colocalization analysis. Our study suggested that even within reference range, higher TSH or lower FT4 are causally associated with increased TC and LDL, while no reverse causal association can be found.


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