Obesity and risk for respiratory diseases: a Mendelian randomization study
Wenwen Yang1, Yanjiang Yang2, Yan Guo3
1The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|September 15, 2023
Summary
Obesity significantly increases the risk for many respiratory diseases, including infections, COPD, and asthma. However, it was found to decrease the risk for bronchiectasis, highlighting a complex relationship.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Epidemiology
- Public Health and Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Limited comprehensive Mendelian randomization studies exist on the link between obesity and respiratory diseases.
- Investigating the causal relationship between obesity and various respiratory conditions is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a Mendelian randomization study to determine the causal effect of obesity on 35 different respiratory diseases.
- To differentiate the impact of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) on respiratory disease risk.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Mendelian randomization analysis with data from the UK Biobank (BMI, WC) and FinnGen Biobank (respiratory diseases).
- Employed inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger, and weighted median methods for primary and sensitivity analyses.
- Applied MR-PRESSO to detect and correct for horizontal pleiotropy and outliers.
Main Results:
- Obesity (both BMI and WC) significantly increases the risk for numerous respiratory conditions, including acute upper respiratory infections, sinusitis, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, COPD, and asthma.
- Specific associations were observed for conditions like acute laryngitis and tracheitis, chronic tonsils and adenoids diseases, and non-small cell lung cancer.
- A notable inverse relationship was found, with obesity decreasing the risk of bronchiectasis (BMI: OR=0.705, p=0.00200).
Conclusions:
- Obesity is a significant risk factor for a majority of respiratory diseases, affecting 20 out of 35 conditions studied.
- The findings underscore the importance of weight management in preventing a wide spectrum of respiratory illnesses.
- The protective association of obesity with bronchiectasis warrants further investigation.
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