Causal relationship between genetically predicted mental disorders and frailty: a bidirectional and multivariable
Wenxi Sun1, Ping Sun2, Sijia Tang3
1Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, Jiangsu Province, China.
BMC Psychiatry
|December 22, 2024
Summary
This study used Mendelian randomization to investigate the causal links between frailty and mental disorders. Major depressive disorder and schizophrenia show causal effects on frailty, with bidirectional causality for major depressive disorder.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Epidemiology
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Frailty is associated with mental disorders in observational studies.
- Underlying mechanisms linking frailty and mental disorders require clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between frailty and ten common mental disorders using Mendelian randomization.
- To explore potential bidirectional causal pathways between frailty and mental disorders.
Main Methods:
- A two-sample Mendelian randomization study design was employed.
- Utilized large-scale European ancestry datasets for frailty index and ten mental disorders.
- Employed inverse variance weighting, sensitivity, and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD) showed significant genetically predicted causal effects on the frailty index (FI).
- Reverse Mendelian randomization revealed a significant causal effect of MDD on FI.
- No significant causal links were found between FI and other tested mental disorders.
Conclusions:
- Evidence supports a causal relationship between SCZ, MDD, and frailty.
- Findings suggest potential bidirectional causality between MDD and frailty.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex interplay between frailty and mental health outcomes.
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