Serum bilirubin and kidney function: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Further investigation is needed to determine the causal effects of serum bilirubin on the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This study is a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Among the well-known single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to serum bilirubin levels, rs4149056 in the gene was selected as the genetic instrument for single-variant MR analysis, as it was found to be less related to possible confounders than other SNPs.

Mendelian randomization reveals causal effects of kidney function on various biochemical parameters.

The kidney is a vital organ with diverse biological effects and the burden of kidney function impairment is increasing in modern medicine. As the effects from kidney function on diverse biochemical parameters are yet fully understood, additional investigation to reveal the causal effects is warranted. Here we show the causal estimates from kidney function parameter, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), on 60 biochemical parameters by performing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study in 337,138 white British UK Biobank participants.

Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease: Analysis of KNOW-CKD Data.

Background Few studies have examined the association between the early diastolic mitral inflow velocity/early diastolic mitral annulus velocity ratio (E/e') and chronic kidney disease progression. Methods and Results We reviewed data from 2238 patients with nondialysis chronic kidney disease from the KNOW-CKD (Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease); data from 163 patients were excluded because of missing content. A >50% decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate from baseline, doubling of serum creatinine, or dialysis initiation and/or kidney transplantation were considered renal events.

Association of statin treatment with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in end-stage kidney disease patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Statin use in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are not encouraged due to low cardioprotective effects. Although the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a frequently occurring cancer in East Asia, is elevated in ESKD patients, the relationship between statins and HCC is not known despite its possible chemopreventive effect. The relationship between statin use and HCC development in ESKD patients with chronic hepatitis was evaluated.

Nonlinear causal effects of estimated glomerular filtration rate on myocardial infarction risks: Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous observational studies suggested that a reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or a supranormal eGFR value was associated with adverse cardiovascular risks. However, a previous Mendelian randomization (MR) study under the linearity assumption reported null causal effects from eGFR on myocardial infarction (MI) risks. Further investigation of the nonlinear causal effect of kidney function assessed by eGFR on the risk of MI by nonlinear MR analysis is warranted.

Relation of Poor Handgrip Strength or Slow Walking Pace to Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Fatality.

We aimed to investigate a causal effect of functional sarcopenia status, including poor handgrip strength and slow walking pace, on cardiovascular diseases. This study was an observational cohort study including observational analysis and Mendelian randomization. We studied the UK Biobank prospective cohort (n = 324,486) for observational analysis with poor handgrip strength or self-reported slow walking pace as the exposures, investigating risk of myocardial infarction or mortality.

Causal effects from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on kidney function: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background And Aims: An observational association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and kidney function impairment has been reported. We aimed to investigate the causal effects from NAFLD on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by a Mendelian randomization (MR) study.

Methods: We first performed single-variant MR with rs738409 as a genetic instrument for NAFLD.

Causal effects of atrial fibrillation on brain white and gray matter volume: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and brain volume loss are prevalent in older individuals. We aimed to assess the causal effect of atrial fibrillation on brain volume phenotypes by Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: The genetic instrument for AF was constructed from a previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis (15,993 AF patients and 113,719 controls of European ancestry).

The Prognostic Significance of Body Mass Index and Metabolic Parameter Variabilities in Predialysis CKD: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study.

Background: The association between variabilities in body mass index (BMI) or metabolic parameters and prognosis of patients with CKD has rarely been studied.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study on the basis of South Korea's national health screening database, we identified individuals who received ≥3 health screenings, including those with persistent predialysis CKD (eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m or dipstick albuminuria ≥1).

A Mendelian randomization study found causal linkage between telomere attrition and chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in the elderly population. However, it is rarely investigated whether kidney function is causally linked to biological aging itself. In this Mendelian randomization study, genetic instruments for telomere attrition were applied to a CKDGen genome wide association study results for 41,395 cases of CKD among 480,698 individuals as summary-level Mendelian randomization.

Causal linkage between adult height and kidney function: An integrated population-scale observational analysis and Mendelian randomization study.

As adult height is linked to various health outcomes, further investigation of its causal effects on kidney function later in life is warranted. This study involved a cross-sectional observational analysis and summary-level Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. First, the observational association between height and estimated GFR determined by creatinine (eGFRcreatinine) or cystatin C (eGFRcystatinC) was investigated in 467,182 individuals aged 40-69 using UK Biobank.

Polypharmacy and the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease: Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: The renal hazard of polypharmacy has never been evaluated in predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Objective: We aimed to analyze the renal hazard of polypharmacy in predialysis CKD patients with stage 1-5.

Method: The data of 2,238 patients from a large-scale multicenter prospective Korean study (2011-2016), excluding 325 patients with various missing data, were reviewed.

Low PDCD4 Expression Is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Colorectal Carcinoma.

Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) is a tumor suppressor gene that inhibits tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. Decreased PDCD4 expression is associated with poor prognosis in various types of cancers. We evaluated PDCD4 expression and its clinicopathologic correlation, including patient survival, in 289 surgically resected colorectal cancers.

Causal effect of alcohol use on the risk of end-stage kidney disease and related comorbidities: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: An inverse observational association between alcohol use and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has been reported. The causal effect of alcohol use on the risk of ESKD warrants additional investigation.

Methods: The study was an observational cohort study investigating the UK Biobank and performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Atrial fibrillation and kidney function: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the causal effects between atrial fibrillation (AF) and kidney function.

Methods And Results: We performed a bidirectional summary-level Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis implementing the results from a large-scale genome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by the CKDGen (N = 765 348) and AF (N = 588 190) to identify genetic instruments. The inverse variance weighted method was the main MR method used.

Kidney function and obstructive lung disease: a bidirectional Mendelian randomisation study.

Background: Additional study is warranted to investigate the causal effects between kidney function and obstructive lung disease.

Methods: This study was a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis. The Chronic Kidney Disease Genetics (CKDGen) genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) including individuals of European ancestry (n=567 460) provided the genetic instrument for kidney function and outcome summary statistics.

Causal Effects of Serum Levels of n-3 or n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Coronary Artery Disease: Mendelian Randomization Study.

We aimed to investigate the causal effects of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. This MR study utilized a genetic instrument developed from previous genome-wide association studies for various serum n-3 and n-6 PUFA levels. First, we calculated the allele scores for genetic predisposition of PUFAs in individuals of European ancestry in the UK Biobank data ( = 337,129).

Causal effects of physical activity or sedentary behaviors on kidney function: an integrated population-scale observational analysis and Mendelian randomization study.

Background: An investigation into the causality of the effects of physical activity and specific sedentary activities on kidney function in the general population is warranted.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, first, the clinical associations of the prevalence of stages 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with physical activity, determined by self-report or objective wrist-band accelerometer results, and sedentary activities (watching television, using a computer and driving) were investigated in 329 758 UK Biobank participants. To assess causality, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to investigate the associations of a genetic predisposition to physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle with the risk of kidney function impairment in an independent CKDGen genome-wide association study (N = 567 460).