The causal relationship between obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation: a study based on mediated Mendelian randomization

Abstract

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that is associated with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). Obesity and OSA may increase the risk of AF by affecting cardiovascular health.

Methods: The study used the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, combined with two-sample and multivariable analyses, to assess the relationships between obesity, OSA, and AF. The study utilized GWAS data and applied various statistical methods for the analysis.

Results: The study found that obesity increased the risk of OSA, which in turn significantly increased the risk of AF. Through mediating MR analysis, it was found that OSA played a certain role in the causal relationship between obesity and AF, with about 6.4% of the risk of AF being mediated by OSA.

Conclusion: This study highlights the relationships among obesity, OSA, and AF, providing useful guidance for future clinical researches.

Keywords: AF; causal relationship; mediated Mendelian randomization; obesity; obstructive sleep apnea.