Cardio metabolic traits and lung function: A Mendelian Randomization study

Abstract

Background: Observational studies show that lung function is associated with cardio metabolic traits (e.g. BMI, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure) and markers of systemic inflammation (e.g. CRP). However, these associations may be confounded by shared risk factors (e.g. smoking). In this study we investigated whether the associations of lung function with cardio metabolic traits may be causal. Methods: We selected instrumental variables from published large scale genome-wide association studies, including SNPs with P Results: MR estimates suggest a negative association of BMI with FEV1 and FVC and a positive association with FEV1/FVC (P Conclusion: We show, by using genetic instruments, that the observational associations of BMI, T2D, SBP, CRP and lung function are unlikely to be confounded and may be causal. Investigation of possible pleiotropic effects are currently being performed to further explore these findings. Funding: EU H2020 grant 633212