The genetic association between hyperthyroidism and heart failure: a Mendelian randomization study

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Apr 12:15:1344282. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1344282. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background and aims: Hyperthyroidism is an endocrine disease with multiple etiologies and manifestations. Heart failure (HF) is a common, costly, and deadly medical condition in clinical practice. Numerous studies have suggested that abnormal thyroid function can induce or aggravate the development of heart disease. However, no study has demonstrated a causal relationship between hyperthyroidism and heart failure. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the causal link between hyperthyroidism and HF.

Methods: Summary data for genetically predicted hyperthyroidism were obtained from a genetic association study. The data examined for genetically determined all-cause heart failure came from 218,208 individuals from the FinnGen Consortium. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to estimate the causal link between hyperthyroidism and heart failure. Statistical analyses were conducted using the inverse variance-weighted, weighted median, simple median, weighted mode, MR-PRESSO (number of distribution = 5000), MR-Egger, and leave-one-out.

Results: The results of the inverse-variance weighted analysis indicated a causal association between hyperthyroidism and an increased risk of all-cause heart failure (IVW: β=0.048, OR=1.049, 95%CI: [1.013 to 1.087], P=0.007). Similarly, the weighted median approach demonstrated a positive correlation between hyperthyroidism and all-cause heart failure (OR=1.049, [95% CI, 1.001-1.100]; P=0.044). Additionally, no horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity was observed. The leave-one-out analysis revealed that the majority of the SNP-driven associations were not influenced by a single genetic marker.

Conclusion: Our study observed a causal relationship between hyperthyroidism and all-cause heart failure. Hyperthyroidism may associate with heart failure genetically.

Keywords: SNPs; all-cause heart failure; heart failure; hyperthyroidism; thyroid disease; two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Heart Failure* / epidemiology
  • Heart Failure* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Hyperthyroidism* / complications
  • Hyperthyroidism* / epidemiology
  • Hyperthyroidism* / genetics
  • Mendelian Randomization Analysis*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.