What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Inguinal hernia. Intervention: Body Mass Index (BMI) vs. Genetically predicted lower BMI. Primary outcome: Risk of inguinal hernia (OR 0.746, 95% CI 0.638-0.872, p=<0.001).

November 2, 2024Scientific Reports9 citationsOpen Access

Evaluating the relationship between standing height, body mass index, body fat percentage with risk of inguinal hernia: a Mendelian randomization study

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Genetically predicted higher Body Mass Index is a significant protective factor against the development of inguinal hernia (OR 0.746) after multivariable adjustment.

YLYuting LiThird Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University BLBaihui LiKunming University of Science and Technology FMFan-Lei MengSecond Hospital of Tianjin Medical University

Key Result

Genetically predicted higher Body Mass Index is a significant protective factor against the development of inguinal hernia (OR 0.746) after multivariable adjustment.

Study Design

Type

Observational

Randomization

Mendelian randomization

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does genetically predicted BMI, standing height, or body fat percentage affect the risk of inguinal hernia?

Population

Large-scale Mendelian randomization study utilizing GWAS data from hundreds of thousands of individuals of European descent to evaluate the causal effect of obesity indicators on inguinal hernia risk.

Exposure

Genetically predicted standing height, BMI, and body fat percentage

Outcome

Risk of inguinal hernia

Genetically predicted higher BMI is associated with a reduced risk of inguinal hernia.

Main Result

Odds Ratio: 0.746 (95% CI 0.638–0.872)

p-value: p=<0.001

Limitations

Presence of heterogeneity in the sensitivity analysis
Did not account for other known risk factors such as smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or family history
GWAS summary data derived solely from individuals of European descent, limiting generalizability to other ethnicities
Did not distinguish between direct and indirect inguinal hernias due to data limitations

Abstract

Observational studies have suggested links between standing height, BMI, body fat percentage, and inguinal hernia risk, but with inconsistent results. We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) method to investigate their causal relationships. Independent SNPs associated with standing height, BMI, and body fat percentage were extracted from GWAS data as instrumental variables (IVs). Two-sample MR initially explored causal relationships between these factors and inguinal hernia risk. Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) assessed the direct causal effects of exposures on inguinal hernia. Positive findings from the MVMR analysis were independently validated. The inverse-variance weighted Methods (IVW), weighted median(WM), and MR-Egger were used for the MR estimates. Sensitivity analyses were used to examine the stability and reliability of the results. Two-sample MR analysis revealed a suggestive causal association between height and inguinal hernia (OR = 1.091, 95% CI = 1.003-1.186, P = 0.042). BMI (OR = 0.846, 95% CI = 0.774-0.924, P < 0.001) and body fat percentage (OR = 0.793, 95% CI = 0.690-0.911, P = 0.001) were significantly protective factors. After MVMR adjustment, BMI (OR = 0.746,95%CI = 0.638-0.872, P < 0.001) remained protective. Independent validation yielded consistent result. Genetically predicted BMI is a significant protective factor for inguinal hernia, providing valuable guidance for individualized prevention strategies.

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