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Association between trans fatty acids and COVID-19: A multivariate Mendelian randomization study
Xuxu Liu1, Zhiwei Du1, Jing Wang2,3
1Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Journal of Medical Virology
|January 4, 2023
Summary
This study investigated the causal link between trans fatty acids (TFAs) and COVID-19. Findings show that specific TFAs, trans, cis-18:2, causally increase the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and severity.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Genetic Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Observational studies suggest a link between trans fatty acids (TFAs) and COVID-19.
- The causal relationship between TFAs and COVID-19 remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between genetically determined TFAs and COVID-19 outcomes.
- To assess the independent causal effect of specific TFAs on COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) studies.
- Employed summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for TFAs and COVID-19.
- Applied the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of circulating trans, cis-18:2 TFAs were associated with increased COVID-19 hospitalization and severity in univariate MR.
- Multivariate MR confirmed an independent and significant causal association of trans, cis-18:2 TFAs with higher COVID-19 hospitalization and severity.
- These associations remained robust after adjusting for other TFAs.
Conclusions:
- Trans, cis-18:2 TFAs demonstrate an independent and robust causal effect on COVID-19 hospitalization and severity.
- These findings highlight the potential impact of dietary TFAs on COVID-19 outcomes.
- Supports public health recommendations to limit TFA consumption.
Keywords:
COVID-19multivariate Mendelian randomizationtrans fatty acidunivariate Mendelian randomizationMore Related Videos
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