Brisk walking pace offsets venous thromboembolism risk equivalent to established monogenic mutations.

Abstract

Background: Mendelian mutations in F2 and F5 genes are known risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study aimed to explore the association between walking pace and VTE, compare its risk with Mendelian mutations, and identify if blood biomarkers mediate this effect.

Methods: We followed 445,261 UK Biobank participants free of VTE at baseline. Walking pace was self-reported, and carrier status for F2 and F5 gene mutations was determined by rs1799963 and rs6025 genotypes. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to estimate walking pace's effect on VTE risk, bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess causality, and mediation analysis to explore blood biomarkers.

Results: Over a median follow-up of 12.8 years, 11,155 incident VTE cases were identified. The 10-year incidence rates for brisk and slow walking paces were 1.32% and 3.90%, respectively. For F5 carriers, the rates were 1.70% (brisk pace) and 3.62% (slow pace). Brisk walking pace reduced VTE risk in F5 carriers (2.65%) compared to non-carriers with a slow pace (3.66%). MR analysis confirmed a causal relationship from walking pace to VTE risk. Mediation analysis revealed that serum albumin and cystatin C mediated 8.7% to 11.7% of the effect of brisk walking pace on VTE risk.

Conclusions: A slow walking pace is causally associated with increased VTE risk. A brisk walking pace mitigates VTE risk, particularly in individuals with F5 gene mutations, and this effect is partially mediated by serum albumin and cystatin C.