Integrative Mendelian randomization and multi-omics analysis identifies anti-allergic drug targets associated with...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are major global health threats. This study explores links between anti-allergic drugs and CVD risk, providing valuable insights for clinical pharmacotherapy. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed on 139 eQTLs for anti-allergic drugs in coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and atrial fibrillation (AF) cohorts, with validation in independent cohorts. Sensitivity analyses, transcriptomics analysis, enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were performed to evaluate the robustness of causality, potential pathways and binding affinity. Furthermore, the FAERS database evaluated the cardiovascular adverse events associated with prednisone in combination with cardiovascular drugs. Among the 11 anti-allergic drug targets significantly linked to CVDs, KAT2A inversely correlated with CAD risk, BAZ2B and CYP2C8 with AF risk, and ITGB2, TG and six other eQTLs were associated with HF risk. Notably, prednisone (targeting ITGB2, TG) and loratadine (targeting TSHR) elevated CVD risk, while zafirlukast (targeting KAT2A, POLB, BAZ2B) reduced it. The progression of CVDs may be influenced by the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and lipid accumulation, which could potentially be affected by the administration of prednisone and similar medications. Molecular docking revealed a strong binding affinity between the cardiovascular candidate drug quercetin and zafirlukast (POLB). Pharmacovigilance analysis indicated an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes with the concurrent use of prednisone and cardiovascular drugs. The comprehensive analyses indicate that certain anti-allergic drugs may heighten the risk of CVDs, suggesting caution with medications like prednisone.