Genetically predicted obesity and risk of hip osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the causal association between genetically predicted obesity and the risk of hip osteoarthritis.

Methods: We performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to analyze the association between body mass index (BMI) and hip osteoarthritis using pooled-level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. The inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR‒Egger, and weighted median methods were used to estimate the causal association. In addition, we applied the MR Steiger filtering method, MR robust adjusted profile score (MR.RAPS) methods, and the MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) global test to examine and address potential horizontal pleiotropy.

Results: We found a causal relationship between genetically predicted BMI and the risk of hip osteoarthritis by the IVW method [OR = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-2.00, P = 0.02]. In the sensitivity analysis, the results of the MR‒Egger and weighted median methods revealed similar estimations but with a wide CI with lower precision. The funnel plot, MR-Egger intercept, and MR-PRESSO all indicated the absence of a directional pleiotropic effect. In addition, no heterogeneity was observed in the present analysis. Therefore, the result of IVW is most suitable and reliable for the present MR analysis.

Conclusion: There is a causal relationship between obesity and a higher risk of hip osteoarthritis, suggesting that weight management may be an intervention for the prevention and management of hip osteoarthritis.

Level of evidence: Bioinformatics, Basic science.

Keywords: Body mass index; Causal effect; Hip osteoarthritis; Mendelian randomization; Obesity.