Genetically predicted the causal relationship between blood metal levels and ischemic stroke risk based on Asian...

Metal element supplementation leads to elevated concentrations of these minerals in the blood. Therefore, any association between blood metal levels and the risk of ischemic stroke is potentially of great public health significance. The results of many observational studies suggest a correlation between blood metal levels and ischemic stroke. However, observational study is influenced by confounding factors. Moreover, there were comparatively few studies on Asian populations. In this study, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship between blood metal levels and risk of ischemic stroke based on Asian ethnicity. We applied 2-sample Mendelian randomization to estimate the causal effects of 42 blood metal levels on ischemic stroke risk. We conducted scrutiny on the SNPs using the LDtrait online tool. A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the heterogeneity and pleiotropy of the results. We found that plasma calcium levels (β = 0.038, se = 0.016, P = .019) was a risk factor. Conversely, plasma chromium levels (β = -0.031, se = 0.015, P = .036) were shown to act as a protective factor for ischemic stroke. These findings were consistent across different sensitivity analyses. This research offers proof indicating a causal link between plasma concentrations of elemental calcium and chromium and an elevated risk of ischemic stroke among Asians. This highlights the significance of keeping track of blood metal concentrations as a possible preventive and intervention measure for ischemic stroke. Additional studies are necessary to confirm these results and investigate the biological mechanisms involved.