Lung function and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Hepatology
• Genetics

Background:

• Observational studies suggest links between pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
• Observational data are limited by bias and reverse causality, hindering causal inference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal effect of pulmonary function on NAFLD risk.
• To employ Mendelian randomization (MR) to establish causality.

Main Methods:

• Univariate, multivariate, and bidirectional two-sample MR analyses were conducted.
• Inverse variance weighting was the primary analysis method, supplemented by complementary methods.
• Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess pleiotropy.

Main Results:

• Increased FEV1 and FVC showed associations with decreased NAFLD risk.
• After adjusting for height, only FEV1 maintained a significant association with reduced NAFLD risk.
• No significant causal effect of NAFLD on lung function was detected in reverse MR analysis.

Conclusions:

• Reduced lung function, particularly FEV1, is causally associated with increased NAFLD risk.
• FEV1 may serve as a valuable marker for NAFLD risk assessment.
• Targeting FEV1 could be a potential strategy for NAFLD prevention.