Hidradenitis suppurativa and cardiovascular diseases: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

BackgroundPrior investigation has indicated a link between Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), yet the causal relationship (CR) between these conditions remains unresolved.MethodsThis investigation utilized bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine the CR between HS and CVDs. Genetic instruments for both conditions were sourced from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The GWAS summary data for CVD comprised coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary atherosclerosis (CA), ischemic stroke (IS), and chronic heart failure (CHF). Four new approaches were added to the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method for the main analysis: weighted median, weighted MR-Egger, simple mode, and weighted mode. The validity of the causal conclusions was verified by sensitivity tests that included leave-one-out analysis, heterogeneity, and pleiotropy.ResultsHS and CAD (OR = 1.024; 95%CI: 1.002-1.046, P = 0.033), MI (OR = 1.001; 95%CI: 1.000-1.002, P = 0.033), and CA (OR = 1.001; 95%CI: 1.000-1.002, P = 0.022) were identified to have a positive CR, according to the IVW analysis. Conversely, no significant association was identified between HS and either IS or CHF. Furthermore, the bidirectional analysis indicated no reverse causation between these diseases.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest a potential CR between HS and CAD, MI, and CA. Additional research is warranted to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying these associations.