The use of negative control outcomes in Mendelian randomization to detect potential population stratification.

ABSTRACT: A key assumption of Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis is that there is no association between the genetic variants used as instruments and the outcome other than through the exposure of interest. One way in which this assumption can be violated is through population stratification, which can introduce confounding of the relationship between the genetic variants and the outcome and so induce an association between them. Negative control outcomes are increasingly used to detect unobserved confounding in observational epidemiological studies. Here we consider the use of negative control outcomes in MR studies to detect confounding of the genetic variants and the exposure or outcome. As a negative control outcome in an MR study, we propose the use of phenotypes which are determined before

SUBMITTER: Sanderson E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8407870 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature