[Causal association between depression and stress urinary incontinence: A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Medicine

Context:

• Depression and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are prevalent conditions with significant public health impact.
• The etiological relationship between depression and SUI remains incompletely understood.
• Previous observational studies suggest a link, but causal inference is challenging.

Purpose:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between depression and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) using a robust Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
• To differentiate the directionality of the potential causal effect between depression and SUI.
• To leverage large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the FinnGen Consortium, UK Biobank, and Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC).

Summary:

• Mendelian randomization analysis utilizing GWAS data from UK Biobank, FinnGen, and PGC found a significant causal effect of depression on the risk of SUI (P=0.005).
• The reverse analysis, investigating the effect of SUI on depression risk, showed no significant association (P=0.927).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness and accuracy of the primary findings.

Impact:

• This study provides strong genetic evidence that depression is a causal risk factor for developing SUI.
• Findings suggest that managing depression may be a viable strategy for preventing or reducing the incidence of SUI.
• Highlights the importance of considering mental health in the management and treatment of SUI patients.