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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
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Causal relationship between physical activity and common gynecologic conditions: a two-sample Mendelian randomization
Mengyu Fu1, Xiaoyue Zhu2, Jie Chen1
1Institute for Fetology & Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
American Journal of Translational Research
|June 19, 2025
Summary
Physical activity (PA) shows causal effects on gynecologic disorders. Specific exercises like walking and sports reduce risks for certain cancers and conditions, while sedentary behavior increases them.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Epidemiology
- Women's Health Research
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest links between physical activity (PA) and gynecologic pathologies.
- Causal relationships between PA patterns and gynecologic disorders require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the causal relationships between various physical activity phenotypes and gynecologic disorders using Mendelian randomization (MR).
- To identify specific PA types that influence the risk of different gynecologic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) utilizing European-ancestry female genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.
- Analyzed eight gynecologic disorders and four PA instruments.
- Utilized inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimates, supplemented by sensitivity analyses (MR-Egger, weighted median, MR-PRESSO) to ensure robustness and address potential pleiotropy.
Main Results:
- Specific exercises (walking, strenuous sports, other exercises) were associated with reduced risk for ER-positive breast cancer (BC), endometrial cancer (EC), and endometriosis (ES).
- Increased sedentary screen time was linked to higher risks of ER-positive BC and ovarian cysts (OCS).
- Paradoxical associations were observed for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with walking and strenuous exercise; no causal links were found for cervical cancer (CC), ovarian cancer (OC), or uterine fibroids (UF).
Conclusions:
- This MR study provides novel evidence for the differential causal effects of PA on gynecologic disorders.
- Exercise modality-specific protective effects were observed for ER-positive BC, EC, and ES.
- Findings emphasize PA as a modifiable factor for women's health, suggesting the need for tailored exercise guidelines.
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