Mixed
Higher genetically predicted body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index causally increase the risk of aortic valve stenosis, heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, arterial hypertension, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary embolism.
Maintaining a healthy body weight, specifically by reducing fat mass, is a critical step in preventing a wide range of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, and aortic valve stenosis. Genetic predisposition to higher BMI increases this risk, suggesting that lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss and fat reduction are essential for cardiovascular health, regardless of current symptoms.
Genetically predicted BMI was significantly positively associated with 8 of the 14 outcomes, including and with decreasing magnitude of association: aortic valve stenosis, heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, arterial hypertension, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary embolism.
Why this rating
Mendelian randomization design reduces confounding and reverse causality, providing strong causal inference, though pleiotropy was noted for some outcomes.
Source
Body mass index and body composition in relation to 14 cardiovascular conditions in UK Biobank: a Mendelian randomization study
Susanna C. Larsson et al. · European Heart Journal · 2019
DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz388
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- Higher genetically predicted fat mass index is strongly associated with an increased risk of aortic valve stenosis, with the strongest magnitude of association observed among all cardiovascular conditions studied.Good
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