Mendelian randomization analysis does not reveal a causal association between migraine and Meniere's disease

Kangjia Zhang1, Yong Zhang1, Weijing Wu1

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Migraine does not cause Meniere's disease (MD), and MD does not cause migraine, according to Mendelian randomization analysis. This study clarifies the causal relationship between these two conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Neurology
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Observational studies suggest a potential link between migraine and Meniere's disease (MD).
  • A causal relationship between migraine and MD has not been established.
  • Investigating the genetic correlation between these conditions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the causal relationship between migraine and Meniere's disease (MD) using Mendelian randomization.
  • To assess if genetic predisposition to migraine influences MD risk.
  • To evaluate if genetic predisposition to MD influences migraine risk.

Main Methods:

  • Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed.
  • Genetic variants (SNPs) associated with migraine and MD were identified from large-scale GWAS in European populations.
  • Inverse-variance weighting (IVW) was the primary analysis method, with sensitivity analyses including weighted median, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity.

Main Results:

  • No significant causal link was found between genetic liability to MD and migraine.
  • Migraine genetic predisposition did not increase MD prevalence (IVW OR = 0.551, P = 0.825).
  • MD genetic predisposition did not increase migraine prevalence (IVW OR = 0.999, P = 0.020, though this result was not robust across sensitivity analyses).

Conclusions:

  • This MR study provides robust evidence that migraine is not a risk factor for MD.
  • The study also indicates that MD is not a risk factor for migraine.
  • Findings clarify the non-causal relationship between migraine and MD.