No causal associations of genetically predicted birth weight and life course BMI with thyroid function and diseases

Objective

Observational studies have suggested associations of birth weight, childhood BMI, and adulthood BMI with thyroid function or diseases. However, the causal relationships remain unclear due to residual confounding inherent in conventional epidemiological studies.

Methods

We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate causal relationships of genetically predicted birth weight, childhood BMI, and adulthood BMI with a range of clinically relevant thyroid outcomes. Additionally, we conducted a reverse MR analysis on adulthood BMI. Data on exposures and outcomes were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association study meta-analyses predominantly composed of individuals of European ancestry.

Results

The MR analysis revealed no evidence of causal associations of birth weight or BMI at different life stages with thyrotropin (TSH) levels, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid disorders, or thyroid cancer. Contrarily, thyroid cancer demonstrated a significant causal relationship with increased adulthood BMI (β = 0.010, 95% CI: 0.006–0.015; p = 5.21 × 10⁻⁶).

Conclusions

Our comprehensive MR did not find causal links of birth weight, childhood BMI, or adulthood BMI with thyroid diseases but provided evidence that thyroid cancer may play a role in weight gain. Our research findings offer valuable insights into the intricate relationship between body weight and thyroid health throughout an individual's life.