Exploring the relationship between sarcopenia and 11 respiratory diseases: a comprehensive mendelian randomization...

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Sarcopenia (SP) is an age-related decline in muscle mass and function that impacts the respiratory system.
• The causal link between sarcopenia and lung diseases is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the genetic causal relationship between sarcopenia and 11 respiratory diseases.
• To explore potential mediating factors in these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Utilized bidirectional univariate Mendelian randomization (UVMR) and multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses.
• Employed mediation MR to examine causal pathways.
• Used summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from UK Biobank and FinnGen.

Main Results:

• Pneumoconiosis showed a higher risk of appendicular lean mass (ALM) loss, mediated by BMI, smoking, and physical activity.
• Genetically predicted ALM was associated with increased risk of pulmonary embolism (PE).
• Reduced hand grip strength (HGS) was linked to increased risk of COPD, sarcoidosis, low respiratory tract infection (LRTI), and bronchiectasis, while increased HGS showed a protective effect on chronic bronchitis (CB) and asthma.
• Usual walking pace was causally related to reduced risk of LRTI, asthma, COPD, and PE.

Conclusions:

• Mendelian randomization analysis revealed bidirectional causal associations between sarcopenia and lung diseases.
• Provides genetic evidence supporting the complex interplay between sarcopenia and respiratory conditions.
• Highlights the need for further mechanistic and clinical studies to understand the crosstalk between sarcopenia and lung diseases.