Unsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Acne: A Mendelian Randomization Study the Impact of Unsaturated Fatty Acids...

The investigation into unsaturated fatty acids has spanned an extensive period; however, the evidence supporting their therapeutic efficacy in treating acne remains inconclusive. Previous research has predominantly focused on omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, with limited exploration of the roles played by monounsaturated fatty acids and specific unsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

To more comprehensively assess the impacts of diverse unsaturated fatty acids and their subcomponents, we employed Mendelian randomization methodology. Our primary analytical approach was inverse variance weighting (IVW), supplemented by a series of sensitivity analyses to enhance the robustness of our findings. Given the potential for overlapping single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the various unsaturated fatty acids under investigation, we incorporated multivariate Mendelian randomization to reduce the risk of false positives. Additionally, Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization was utilized to confirm the consistency of our results.

Univariate Mendelian randomization indicated that omega-3 and DHA were inversely associated with acne risk, while the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio showed a positive correlation with acne risk. Multivariate Mendelian randomization revealed that only DHA demonstrated a positive association with acne risk, a finding supported by Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization.

Collectively, these results suggest that our data primarily support the protective influence of DHA against acne.