Mendelian randomization analysis reveals the combined effects of epigenetics and telomere biology in hematologic cancers.

Background: Telomere shortening and epigenetic modifications are key factors in aging and hematologic diseases. This study investigates the relationship of telomere length and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) with hematologic cancers, blood cells, and biochemical markers through the epigenetic clocks.

Methods: This study primarily utilizes genome-wide association studies of populations of European descent as instrumental variables, exploring the causal relationships between exposures and outcomes through a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.