Relationship between myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Myocardial infarction (MI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are frequently comorbid conditions.
• However, the underlying causal relationship between MI and AF remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential bidirectional causal relationship between myocardial infarction (MI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) using a Mendelian randomization approach.

Main Methods:

• A 2-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted.
• Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for MI and AF were utilized.
• Inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods were employed to assess causality.

Main Results:

• Genetic variants associated with MI significantly increased the risk of AF (IVW OR: 1.42, P < .001).
• Genetic variants associated with AF also significantly increased the risk of MI (IVW OR: 1.05, P = .033).
• Consistent results were observed across different MR analysis methods.

Conclusions:

• This study provides robust evidence for a bidirectional causal association between MI and AF.
• The findings suggest that MI and AF may causally influence each other, impacting cardiovascular health.