{"title":"Establishing the relationships between obesity and genetically predicted serum micronutrient levels: a multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis.","authors":"Rui Zhou, Yanxiang Zhang, Jiazhi Wang, Huacong Huang, Tianyou Liao, Weisheng Lai, Yongle Ju, Manzhao Ouyang","doi":"10.1007/s40519-025-01730-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous observational studies have indicated that circulating micronutrients may influence obesity risk. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between micronutrient levels and obesity through multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with 15 micronutrients (selenium, zinc, copper, calcium, beta-carotene, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E) from published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were used as instrumental variables (IVs). Three obesity-related datasets were obtained from the GWAS. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) is the main method used for MR analysis. Leave-one-out analysis, MR-Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier method (MR-PRESSO), weighted median, and MR-Egger method were used to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Genetically predicted levels of circulating selenium and calcium are causally related to the risk of obesity (calcium odds ratio [OR]: 1.478, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.128-1.935, p = 0.005; selenium OR: 1.478, 95% CI 1.128-1.935, p = 0.005). Multivariate MR analysis suggested a causal relationship between circulating selenium and calcium levels and obesity risk (calcium OR: 1.625, 95% CI 1.260-2.097; selenium OR: 1.080, 95% CI 1.003-1.163, p = 0.041). The p-value obtained in the Cochrane Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and MR-PRESSO were > 0.05, suggesting no significant evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study revealed, for the first time, a positive correlation between elevated circulating calcium and selenium levels and an increased obesity risk. These findings provide valuable insights into obesity's underlying mechanisms. Nevertheless, further large-scale clinical studies are required to confirm our results.</p><p><strong>Level of evidence: </strong>Level III, Mendelian randomization.</p>","PeriodicalId":11391,"journal":{"name":"Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity","volume":"30 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11954692/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-025-01730-7","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Previous observational studies have indicated that circulating micronutrients may influence obesity risk. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between micronutrient levels and obesity through multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with 15 micronutrients (selenium, zinc, copper, calcium, beta-carotene, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E) from published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were used as instrumental variables (IVs). Three obesity-related datasets were obtained from the GWAS. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) is the main method used for MR analysis. Leave-one-out analysis, MR-Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier method (MR-PRESSO), weighted median, and MR-Egger method were used to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity.
Results: Genetically predicted levels of circulating selenium and calcium are causally related to the risk of obesity (calcium odds ratio [OR]: 1.478, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.128-1.935, p = 0.005; selenium OR: 1.478, 95% CI 1.128-1.935, p = 0.005). Multivariate MR analysis suggested a causal relationship between circulating selenium and calcium levels and obesity risk (calcium OR: 1.625, 95% CI 1.260-2.097; selenium OR: 1.080, 95% CI 1.003-1.163, p = 0.041). The p-value obtained in the Cochrane Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and MR-PRESSO were > 0.05, suggesting no significant evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity.
Conclusion: Our study revealed, for the first time, a positive correlation between elevated circulating calcium and selenium levels and an increased obesity risk. These findings provide valuable insights into obesity's underlying mechanisms. Nevertheless, further large-scale clinical studies are required to confirm our results.
Level of evidence: Level III, Mendelian randomization.
期刊介绍:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity is a scientific journal whose main purpose is to create an international forum devoted to the several sectors of eating disorders and obesity and the significant relations between them. The journal publishes basic research, clinical and theoretical articles on eating disorders and weight-related problems: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, subthreshold eating disorders, obesity, atypical patterns of eating behaviour and body weight regulation in clinical and non-clinical populations.