Overweight as a Causal Factor Contributing to Better Survival at the Oldest Old Ages: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

ABSTRACT: Overweight, defined by a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30, has been associated with enhanced survival among older adults in some studies. However, whether being overweight is causally linked to longevity remains unclear. To investigate this, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study of lifespan 85+ years, using overweight as an exposure variable and data from the Health and Retirement Study and the Long Life Family Study. An essential aspect of MR involves selecting appropriate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables (IVs). This is challenging due to the limited number of SNP candidates within biologically relevant genes that can satisfy all necessary assumptions and criteria. To address this challenge, we employed a novel strategy of creating additi

SUBMITTER: Duan H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11160847 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature