In this study, we used MR to systematically explore genetically causal effects of obesity and smoking on the risk of MI. Our study showed that obesity (waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI), smoking initiation, and Current smoking were a causal factor for MI: waist circumference: (OR = 1. 59, 95% CI: 1.41–1.80, P < 0.001), hip circumference: (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.23–1.53, P < 0.001), BMI: (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.39–1.68, P < 0.001), Smoking initiation: (OR = 1.17; 95%CI = 1.00-1.37; P = 0.04), Current smoking: (OR = 2.35; 95%CI = 1.18–4.66; P = 0.01). However, we did not observe evidence supporting that genetic causal effects of past smoking was associated with MI (OR = 0.75; 95%CI = 0.62–0.90; P<0.01).
The meniscal plays a crucial role in the knee joint and its injury can significantly impact knee function and reduce the quality of life for patients. epidemiological study has identified obesity and smoking as independent risk factors for MI [6]. In a retrospective analysis, it was found that patients with a BMI ≥ 30 had a 22% higher likelihood of experiencing a MI compared to those with a BMI < 30 [27]. Furthermore, patients with a BMI ≥ 30 had a 4-fold increase in the risk of MI. [28]. Similar findings have been reported in other studies, which have observed a five-fold greater risk of meniscus injury in overweight patients compared to those with a BMI < 25 [29–31]. The increase in BMI is associated with higher stress and torque during knee rotation, as well as inadequate nutrient supply to the meniscus in obese individuals due to meniscal compression. This combination leads to a higher risk of meniscal injury. Furthermore, Smoking is a pressing issue in modern medicine due to its significant impact on public health. It is well-known that tobacco exposure can harm every organ in the body, causing immediate damage [32–34]. Smoking has a multifactorial impact on the soft tissue microenvironment and healing. It temporarily reduces tissue perfusion and oxygenation, attenuates reparative cell functions, decreases the synthesis and deposition of collagen, and impairs the inflammation and proliferation phase of the healing process [35–38]. According to research, smoking populations often experience impaired tissue vascularity and blood flow, which can impact the recovery following MI [38–40]. A previous study involving 140 patients with MI found that smoking was a risk factor to both the occurrence and healing of such injuries [41]. In a study by Blackwell et al., smokers were found to have a 3.8 times higher risk of meniscal repair failure compared to non-smokers [42]. Additionally, studies have shown that smoking significantly affects the anatomy of the meniscal, by comparing the incidence of MI between smokers and non-smokers, with a significantly higher incidence in the smoking group [43, 44]
Observational studies are prone to reverse causation bias and confounding factors, which restrict their ability to provide causal estimates of the effect of exposures and outcomes, thereby reducing their ability to inform prevention and treatment strategies against the disease [45]. Unlike observational studies, MR uses exceptional genetic variants that are assumed to satisfy the IVs hypothesis to investigate the question of causality in epidemiological studies, which minimizes the possibility of inherent bias [46]. Moreover, MR analysis is cost-effective and feasible when compared to randomized controlled trials [47].
To ensure the reliability of our results, we screened SNPs with gene-wide association (P < 5x10− 8) and removed any linkage disequilibrium (r2 < 0.001, kb = 10,000). Additionally, we accounted for horizontal pleiotropy, which refers to the possibility that SNPs may affect outcomes through other pathways rather than exposure. The consistency across three MR analysis methods, namely IVW, MR-Egger, and MM provides robust evidence to support our conclusions. Additionally, to address potential bias and account for ethnic differences, we exclusively utilized GWAS data from European populations for both the exposure and outcome variables.
Despite the validity and stability of our MR results, there are several limitations of the current study. Firstly, it should be noted that the GWAS data we used are exclusively from European populations. Therefore, caution must be exercised when extrapolating our findings to other populations and ethnic groups. Secondly, the selection of SNPs from different large-sample GWAS data introduces the possibility of sampling overlap between the exposure and outcome variables, which may potentially lead to biased results. Lastly, it is crucial to acknowledge that MI is influenced by a combination of genetic factors, environmental factors, lifestyles, and epigenetic modifications. Thus, our findings only provide a partial explanation for the causal effect of obesity and smoking on MI.
In conclusion, we enriched findings from previous epidemiology studies and provided evidence from MR that obesity and smoking were independent causal factors for MI. These findings have important implications for guiding individuals in adopting scientific health management practices, such as reducing body fat percentage and quitting smoking, in order to mitigate the risk of MI.