Prevention & lipidsResearch article
Evaluation of a bidirectional causal association between cardiovascular diseases and pneumonia: a Mendelian randomization study
- Mendelian randomisation study
- bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR)
- global genetic correlation analysis
- post hoc power calculation
Authors' conclusion
Ischaemic stroke is causally associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, but there is no evidence for the causal effect of pneumonia on CVDs.
Study context
- Population
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from a GWAS meta-analysis and the FinnGen or UK Biobank consortium
- Comparison
- Genetically predicted cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) vs pneumonia
- Outcome
- Bidirectional causality between CVDs and pneumonia
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Genetically predicted ischaemic stroke → pneumonia
Ischaemic strokeOdds ratio (95% CI)
any pneumonia
1.119(1.031–1.393)
bacterial pneumonia
1.251(1.032–1.516)
pneumococcal pneumonia
1.308(1.093–1.565)
Further findings
Genetic correlation (LD score regression)
- Significant positive genetic correlation between CVDs and pneumonia
Post hoc power
- Strong power to detect the causality
- >80%
Original publication
Evaluation of a bidirectional causal association between cardiovascular diseases and pneumonia: a Mendelian randomization study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 13 February 2024. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwae060
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it