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Published on: November 10, 2017
COVID-19 susceptibility and severity for dyslipidemia: A mendelian randomization investigation
Yi Liang1, Liang Liu2, Bo Liang2
1Geriatric Medicine Department, The Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China.
Insights
This study found no direct causal link between COVID-19 and dyslipidemia. Existing hyperlipidemia may be exacerbated by COVID-19, increasing disease burden.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
- Metabolic Syndrome
Background:
- COVID-19 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2019) continues to cause deaths globally, increasing the burden of chronic diseases.
- Dyslipidemia, a metabolic syndrome, is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Limited research exists on a direct causal relationship between COVID-19 and hyperlipidemia exacerbation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential causal relationship between COVID-19 and dyslipidemia using a Mendelian randomization approach.
- To determine if COVID-19 severity influences the risk of developing or worsening dyslipidemia.
Main Methods:
- A two-sample Mendelian randomization study was performed.
- Summary statistics from independent European ancestry cohorts were utilized for COVID-19 and dyslipidemia data.
- Multiple Mendelian randomization methods (inverse variance-weighted, Egger, weighted median, simple mode, weighted mode) and sensitivity analyses were applied.
Main Results:
- No direct causal relationship was identified between COVID-19 and dyslipidemia.
- This finding held true regardless of COVID-19 severity or specific dyslipidemic outcomes.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 does not directly cause dyslipidemia.
- The observed increase in dyslipidemia burden in COVID-19 patients may be attributed to the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions.
Background:
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2019 (COVID-19) is still spreading and causing deaths worldwide, which further increased the burden of chronic diseases. Dyslipidemia is a common metabolic syndrome, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, studies on whether there is a direct causal relationship between COVID-19 and the exacerbation of hyperlipidemia are still scarce.
Methods:
Two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted using publicly available summary statistics from independent cohorts of European ancestry. For COVID-19 and hyperlipidemia, we used data from the ieu open GWAS project database. Inverse variance-weighted, mendelian randomization Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode mendelian randomization analyses were performed, together with a range of sensitivity analyses.
Results:
There is no direct causal relationship between COVID-19 and dyslipidemia, regardless of COVID-19 severity or either dyslipidemic outcome. In combination with previous studies, the reason for the clinical outcome that COVID-19 increased the burden of dyslipidemia may be due to the exacerbation of pre-existing disease caused by COVID-19.
Conclusions:
COVID-19 has no direct causal relationship with dyslipidemia.
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