Causal association between cardiovascular risk factors and common skin diseases: A multivariate Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases and dermatological conditions are prevalent health issues worldwide. Previous studies have suggested that risk factors for cardiovascular diseases may be associated with the development of dermatological conditions. However, the causal association between these factors remain unclear. This study utilized data from genome-wide association studies and applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the potential causal association between cardiovascular risk factors and common dermatological conditions. Genetic variants significantly associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), serum uric acid, blood glucose, and hypertension were selected as instrumental variables. We employed inverse variance weighted, MR Egger, and weighted mode methods for analysis. Sensitivity analyses, including Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO global test, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to ensure the robustness of the results. The MR analysis indicated a positive association between LDL-C levels and the risk of psoriasis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.47, P = .02). Additionally, hypertension and serum uric acid levels were positively associated with the risk of dermatitis eczema (hypertension: OR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.23-6.24, P = .01; serum uric acid: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.06, P = .01). This study provides evidence of a potential causal association between LDL-C levels and psoriasis, as well as between hypertension and serum uric acid levels and dermatitis eczema. These findings highlight the potential importance of cardiovascular health management in the prevention and treatment of common dermatological conditions. Further research is needed to validate these results and explore the underlying biological mechanisms.