Obesity-Related Traits Mediate the Effects of Educational Attainment on the Risk of Varicose Veins, Venous Thromboembolism, and Phlebitis

作者：Hong-Cheng Du, Bai-Yang Deng · 发表于：Thrombosis and Haemostasis · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1055/s-0044-1786970 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Diagnosis and Treatment of Venous Diseases、Venous Thromboembolism Diagnosis and Management、Dermatologic Treatments and Research

BACKGROUND: The extent to which educational attainment (EA) influences the risk of varicose veins (VVs), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and phlebitis occurrence, whether this pathway is mediated by obesity-related traits, and the proportion of their mediation is unknown. METHODS: A Mendelian randomization (MR) design was used to genetically investigate the causal effects of EA on the risk of VV, VTE, and phlebitis and to assess the mediating effect of obesity-related traits. Causal effects were estimated using primarily the multiplicative random-effects inverse variance-weighted method. This was supplemented by Cochran's Q-statistic, MR-Egger regression, MR funnel plots, and leave-one-out test to evaluate the reliability of the results. For the individual mediation effect, the coefficient product method was mainly utilized to estimate. RESULTS: An increase in genetically predicted EA was associated with a lower risk of VV, VTE, and phlebitis, as well as lower body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference. As genetically predicted body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference increased, the risk of developing VV, VTE, and phlebitis increased, respectively. Body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference were identified as mediators of the protective effects of EA on VV, VTE, and phlebitis. CONCLUSION: The findings support a causal relationship between higher EA and lower ri...