Association between copper intake and essential hypertension: dual evidence from Mendelian randomization analysis and the NHANES database.

Background: Although previous studies have identified an association between trace elements and essential hypertension, the specific trace elements involved and the mechanisms of their association remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between various human trace elements and essential hypertension, thereby addressing existing gaps in the research.

Methods: This study employed two-sample, multivariate, and inverse Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate the causal relationship between 15 human trace elements as exposure factors and essential hypertension as the outcome. The analysis revealed a statistically significant association between copper intake and essential hypertension. Further validation was conducted using logistic regression models based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Results: Eighteen trace elements were initially identified through searches in the GWAS database and PubMed. After screening, 15 trace elements were selected as potential exposure factors. MR analysis, utilizing the 2021 genome-wide dataset for essential hypertension, identified copper as a risk factor, showing a positive association with hypertension. Subsequent logistic regression analyses based on NHANES data further confirmed a significant association between dietary copper intake and the risk of essential hypertension, except for the 0.80-1.08 mg/d group in model 3 ( < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis indicated a nonlinear relationship between copper intake and the risk of developing essential hypertension.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant association between copper intake and the development of essential hypertension. The findings suggest that higher copper intake is linked to an increased risk of hypertension, underscoring the need to monitor copper intake levels in the prevention and management of this condition.