Association Between Dysmenorrhea and Risk of Epilepsy in East Asian Populations: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Observational studies suggest a link between dysmenorrhea and epilepsy, but are prone to bias.
• Causal inference is needed to understand the relationship between painful periods and epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relevance of dysmenorrhea on epilepsy risk using Mendelian randomization (MR).
• To explore the potential causal effect of epilepsy on the incidence of dysmenorrhea.

Main Methods:

• Utilized genomewide association study data from East Asian populations.
• Employed Mendelian randomization with genetic variants for dysmenorrhea and epilepsy.
• Conducted comprehensive MR estimations and sensitivity analyses.

Main Results:

• Dysmenorrhea was causally associated with an elevated risk of epilepsy (OR = 1.26; P = 4.42 × 10⁻³).
• No strong evidence indicated a causal effect of epilepsy on dysmenorrhea incidence (OR = 1.04; P = 0.72).

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest a potential causal link between painful periods and increased epilepsy risk.
• Results may inform clinical decisions for patients experiencing both conditions.