Revealing the mediating mechanisms between BMI and osteoarthritis: a Mendelian randomization and mediation analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite well-documented associations between Body mass index (BMI) and Osteoarthritis (OA), the specific biological pathways and mediators involved remain poorly understood. This study aims to explore mediators through which BMI influences OA risk, particularly knee osteoarthritis (KOA), using Mendelian Randomization (MR) and mediation analysis.

Methods

We used a two-step MR approach with data from the IEU OpenGWAS and FinnGen version 7 databases. BMI (N = 322,154) was the primary exposure, with knee disorders (KD), total bone mineral density (TBMD), metabolic disorders (MD), and anxiety disorders (AD) as potential mediators. Outcomes included KOA (N = 22,347), hip OA (HOA) (N = 11,989), and all OA (AllOA) (N = 50,508). Univariate MR evaluated causal relationships

SUBMITTER: Yu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11976339 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature