Understanding the nature of association between anxiety phenotypes and anorexia nervosa: a triangulation approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Evidence from observational studies suggests an association between anxiety disorders and anorexia nervosa (AN), but causal inference is complicated by the potential for confounding in these studies. We triangulate evidence across a longitudinal study and a Mendelian randomization (MR) study, to evaluate whether there is support for anxiety disorder phenotypes exerting a causal effect on AN risk.

Methods

Study One assessed longitudinal associations of childhood worry and anxiety disorders with lifetime AN in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort. Study Two used two-sample MR to evaluate: causal effects of worry, and genetic liability to anxiety disorders, on AN risk; causal effects of genetic liability to AN on anxiety outcomes; and the causal

SUBMITTER: Lloyd EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7542378 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature