The causal relationship between triglycerides and myocardial infarction: A two-sample Mendelian randomization.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood, and high levels are linked to cardiovascular disease.
• Understanding the causal link between triglycerides and myocardial infarction (MI) is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationship between genetically predicted triglyceride levels and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI).
• To assess the impact of elevated triglycerides on MI incidence using robust genetic methods.

Main Methods:

• Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis utilizing genetic variants associated with triglyceride levels as exposure.
• Employed inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analysis method, with MR-Egger and weighted median as sensitivity analyses.
• Conducted heterogeneity and multivariate analyses to ensure the robustness of the findings.

Main Results:

• Inverse variance weighting demonstrated a significant association between increased triglyceride levels and higher MI incidence (OR = 1.287, P < 1.988 × 10⁻⁹).
• Consistent results across all three MR methods confirmed a statistically significant elevation in MI risk with higher triglyceride levels (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Elevated triglyceride levels are causally associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.
• These findings support the importance of managing high triglyceride levels for the primary prevention of MI.