Correlation between obstructive sleep apnea and cerebral small vessel disease: a mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The causal relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is debated.
• Mendelian randomization (MR) studies can help clarify genetic predispositions and causal links.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the risk of developing cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).

Main Methods:

• A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted using genetic variants associated with OSA.
• Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data for various CSVD markers (WMHs, LIs, CMBs, FA, MD) were analyzed.
• Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was the primary analysis, with sensitivity analyses including weighted-median, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO.

Main Results:

• Genetically predicted OSA showed no significant association with lacunar infarctions (LIs), white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), or cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the primary findings, indicating no causal link.

Conclusions:

• This MR study does not support a causal association between obstructive sleep apnea and cerebral small vessel disease in individuals of European ancestry.
• Further validation in larger cohorts, randomized controlled trials, and more extensive GWAS-based MR studies is recommended.