Causal Effect of Higher Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Levels on Knee Osteoarthritis Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Genetic evidence links hyperthyroidism to knee osteoarthritis

PURPOSE

The causal relationship between hyperthyroidism and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remains to date unknown. We aimed to examine the potential causal relationship between hyperthyroidism status and the risk of developing KOA via a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

METHODS

Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data related to hyperthyroidism and KOA were obtained from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Europe. KOA was used as the outcome variable and hyperthyroidism was used as the exposure factor. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method served as the primary analytic tool and heterogeneity and pleiotropy were evaluated via sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

The IVW method indicated that hyperthyroidism status has a causative influence on the risk of developing KOA [OR, 1.046; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.013-1.080; P = 0.006]. No significant reverse causality was detected. Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperthyroidism status can causally increase the risk of developing KOA. This result indicated that the risk of developing KOA may be decreased by controlling hyperthyroidism.

Associations between life's essential 8 and arthritis among adults in United States: a national-wide longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Arthritis, a common condition in the U.S., is caused by autoimmune reactions, osteoarticular injuries, and uric acid deposition. It affects around 25% of adults and is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) composite, which considers cardiovascular health factors, has been studied for its predictive capacity in assessing arthritis risk. The study aims to provide tailored prevention recommendations and monitor factors associated with arthritis within the LE8 framework specifically for arthritic individuals.

METHODS

This population-based study used data from the U.S. NHANES (2017-2020) for adults aged 20 + . Multivariate logistic and restricted cubic spline modeling explored the relationship between LE8 and arthritis, revealing significant nonlinearity (P < 0.001). Gradient Boosting Decision Trees were employed to conduct a predictive model of Arthritis risk.

RESULTS

Through study, we found that idealer LE8 scores correlated with poorer arthritis risk. Subgroup analyses ideallighted poorer scores for smoking (P < 0.002, poor_socre and intermediate_score) and physical activity(P = 0.001, poor_score) as significant risk factors. Gradient Boosting Decision Trees predicted disease risk, with age, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure identified as the three most significant predictive factors.

CONCLUSION

The LE8 score in U.S. adults shows a negative association with arthritis outcomes, with arthritis prevalence decreasing as the score increases. poorer Smoke and Physical Exercise Time components and intermediate Blood Glucose scores may be arthritis risk factors. The LE8 may help identify arthritis risk early and reduce its burden.

Causal factors for osteoarthritis risk revealed by mendelian randomization analysis

Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent chronic disease among the elderly, presents a complex pathogenesis and currently lacks effective treatment. Traditional observational studies are time-consuming, labor-intensive, susceptible to confounding factors, and cannot establish causal relationships. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, leveraging genetic variation to assess causal associations between exposures and outcomes, offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative. Over the past decade, large-scale genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genetic variants linked to OA risk factors, facilitating MR study design. In this review, we systematically identified 52 MR studies meeting specific criteria and evaluated their quality, exploring the impact of lifestyle, nutrition, comorbidities, circulating metabolites, plasma proteins, and other health factors on OA risk. We discuss the results and potential mechanisms of MR findings, addressing conflicting evidence based on existing literature and our prior research. With the ongoing expansion of genome-wide association data, we anticipate MR's role in future OA studies to broaden, particularly in drug development research using targeted MR approaches. We thus aim for this paper to offer valuable insights for researchers and clinicians in related fields.

Phenome-wide causal associations between osteoarthritis and other complex traits through the latent causal variable analysis

BACKGROUND

Individuals with osteoarthritis present with comorbidities, and the potential causal associations remain incompletely elucidated. The present study undertook a large-scale investigation about the causality between osteoarthritis and variable traits, using the summary-level data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

METHODS

The present study included the summary-level GWS data of knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis, hip or knee osteoarthritis, hand osteoarthritis, and other 1355 traits. Genetic correlation analysis was conducted between osteoarthritis and other traits through cross-trait bivariate linkage disequilibrium score regression. Subsequently, latent causal variable analysis was performed to explore the causal association when there was a significant genetic correlation. Genetic correlation and latent causal variable analysis were conducted on the Complex Traits Genomics Virtual Lab platform ( https://vl.genoma.io/ ).

RESULTS

We found 133 unique phenotypes showing causal relationships with osteoarthritis. Our results confirmed several well-established risk factors of osteoarthritis, such as obesity, weight, BMI, and meniscus derangement. Additionally, our findings suggested putative causal links between osteoarthritis and multiple factors. Socioeconomic determinants such as occupational exposure to dust and diesel exhaust, extended work hours exceeding 40 per week, and unemployment status were implicated. Furthermore, our analysis revealed causal associations with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, including heart failure, deep venous thrombosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and elevated cholesterol levels. Soft tissue and musculoskeletal disorders, such as hallux valgus, internal derangement of the knee, and spondylitis, were also identified to be causally related to osteoarthritis. The study also identified the putative causal associations of osteoarthritis with digestive and respiratory diseases, such as Barrett's esophagus, esophagitis, and asthma, as well as psychiatric conditions including panic attacks and manic or hyperactive episodes. Additionally, we observed osteoarthritis causally related to pharmacological treatments, such as the use of antihypertensive medications, anti-asthmatic drugs, and antidepressants.

CONCLUSION

Our study uncovered a wide range of traits causally associated with osteoarthritis. Further studies are needed to validate and illustrate the detailed mechanism of those causal associations.