Key result
Genetically-predicted schizophrenia was associated with an increased risk of varicose veins (OR 1.05), while major depressive disorder was associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism (OR 1.21).
Why the study?
The causal relationship between mental health disorders and aortic and peripheral vascular disease had not been established due to limited research and potential confounding factors.
Do genetically-predicted mental health disorders causally affect the risk of aorta and peripheral vascular diseases?
Observational
Mendelian randomization
Yes
Do genetically-predicted mental health disorders causally affect the risk of aorta and peripheral vascular diseases?
Odds Ratio: 1.05 (95% CI 1.01–1.09)
p-value: p=0.02
Mendelian randomization suggests potential causal links between specific mental health disorders (schizophrenia, major depressive disorder) and various aortic and peripheral vascular diseases.
Hypothesis-generating for causal mental health–vascular links; does not support practice changes without prospective validation.
Background The actual causality between mental health disorders (MHD) with aorta and peripheral vascular disease (APVD) has not been established for the limited researches and the potential confounding factors. Methods Bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to investigate evidence of causality and direction of 4 MHD (schizophrenia, anxiety disorder (AD), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depression disorder (MDD)) with 18 common APVD. Summary-level genetic statistics for MHD were obtained from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, and APVD from FinnGen Project database. The inverse-variance weighted method was used for the primary MR analyses. Sensitivity analysis was also performed for heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests. Results Genetically-predicted schizophrenia was associated with increased risk of varicose veins [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.05; 95%confidential interval (CI): 1.01 to 1.09, P = 0.02], congenital malformations of heart and great artery (OR: 1.07; 95%CI: 1.00 to 1.14, P = 0.04), haemangioma and lymphangioma (OR: 1.12; 95%CI: 1.03 to 1.21, P = 0.01), and haemangioma (OR: 1.12; 95%CI: 1.03 to 1.22, P = 0.01). Genetically-predicted MDD was associated with reduced risk of varicose veins (OR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.78 to 0.96, P = 0.01), giant cell arteritis (OR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.36 to 0.97, P = 0.04), haemangioma and lymphangioma (OR: 0.71; 95%CI: 0.52 to 0.97, P = 0.03), and haemangioma (OR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.50 to 0.98, P = 0.04), with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism (OR: 1.21; 95%CI: 1.02 to 1.45, P = 0.03). No significant association was observed for AD or BD. Evidence from bidirectional MR did not support reverse causality. Conclusion This study report evidence in support of potential causal associations of schizophrenia and MDD with several APVD. Further studies are needed to validate the findings and investigate potential mechanisms.
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Peng et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Mental health disorders and aortic and peripheral vascular disease. Genetically-predicted schizophrenia vs. General population was evaluated on Varicose veins (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p=0.02). Genetically-predicted schizophrenia was associated with an increased risk of varicose veins (OR 1.05), while major depressive disorder was associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism (OR 1.21).
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