Mendelian Randomization Analysis of the Causal Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Hospital Costs.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Knowledge of the impact of smoking on health care costs is important for establishing the external effects of smoking and for evaluating policies intended to modify this behavior. Conventional analysis of this association is difficult because of omitted variable bias, reverse causality, and measurement error.

Aims and methods

We approached these challenges using a Mendelian Randomization study design; genetic variants associated with smoking behaviors were used in instrumental variables models with inpatient hospital costs (calculated from electronic health records) as the outcome. We undertook genome-wide association studies to identify genetic variants associated with smoking initiation and a composite smoking index (reflecting cumulative health impacts of smo

SUBMITTER: Dixon P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11494471 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature