Examining the causal relationship between hypertension and benign paroxysmal vertigo: a univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization study.

Abstract

Background: Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) may be at increased risk for hypertension.

Objectives: To examine the causal relationship between hypertensive disorders and benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPV).

Materials and methods: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to assess the causal relationship between hypertension and BPV. Summary statistics for BPV and hypertension were obtained from the FinnGen biobank to support the primary MR analysis. Five complementary methods - inverse variance weighted, weighted median, MR-Egger, simple mode, and weighted mode - were applied to obtain MR estimates. Furthermore, a multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis was conducted to examine whether hypertension independently influences BPV.

Results: The MR analysis indicated a significant causal effect of hypertension on BPV, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02-1.22, p = .019), indicating an increased risk of BPV associated with hypertension. MVMR analysis further indicated that the causal effect of hypertension on BPV remained significant even after adjusting for menopausal disorders and ischemic stroke (OR: 1.108, 95% CI: 1.003-1.225, p = .043).

Conclusions and significance: This MR study provided evidence supporting a causal effect of hypertension on BPV.