Mendelian randomization analyses reveal causal relationship between liver volume and stroke

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Observational studies suggest a link between abdominal viscera volume and stroke risk.
• The causal relationship between abdominal viscera volume and stroke remains unclear.
• Mendelian randomization (MR) is a powerful tool to investigate genetic causal relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the genetic causal relationship between abdominal viscera volumes and stroke using MR.
• To determine if increased liver volume causally affects stroke risk.

Main Methods:

• Utilized UK Biobank data for genetic variations in abdominal viscera volume.
• Employed summary statistics for stroke and ischemic stroke from the MEGASTROKE consortium.
• Applied inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary MR analysis method, with MR Egger and weighted median for sensitivity analyses.

Main Results:

• Liver volume was found to causally increase the risk of stroke (OR: 1.13, P=0.013) and ischemic stroke (OR: 1.14, P=0.012).
• No significant causal relationships were observed between other abdominal viscera volumes and stroke or ischemic stroke.
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings.

Conclusions:

• This study provides evidence for a causal relationship between increased liver volume and stroke risk.
• Liver volume may play a role in the pathogenesis of stroke.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and develop targeted interventions.