Detecting potential causal relationship between multiple risk factors and Alzheimer's disease using multivariable
Qiang Zhang1,2, Fei Xu2, Lianke Wang2
1School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou 450001, P.R. China.
Aging
|November 12, 2020
Summary
Higher education and HDL cholesterol may reduce Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk, while high total and LDL cholesterol, and fasting glucose, may increase it. These factors are key to understanding AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder impacting cognitive function in the elderly.
- Genetic factors identified so far do not fully explain AD's variability or identify sufficient causal factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential causal relationships between nine risk factors and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- To prioritize key causal risk factors for AD using advanced statistical methods.
Main Methods:
- Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) extension methods: multivariable MR (mvMR) and MR-Bayesian Model Averaging (MR-BMA).
- Assessed the causal impact of nine risk factors on AD.
- Prioritized causal risk factors through statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Increased years of schooling and genetically elevated HDL cholesterol showed an inverse association with AD risk.
- Genetically predicted total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and fasting glucose (FG) were associated with increased AD risk.
- MR-BMA analysis identified FG and years of schooling among the top five causal risk factors for AD.
Conclusions:
- Findings offer novel insights into potential causal risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- These insights may guide future treatment and intervention strategies for AD and related complex diseases.
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