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Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2023, 20(3): 195-204 https://doi.org/10.26599/1671-5411.2023.03.007
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 03 April 2023

Causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on the risk of heart failure: a Mendelian randomization study

Show Author's Information Bo GUAN1,*,  Xiao-Qiang CHEN2,*,  Yan LIU2,*,  Hui ZHOU3,  Ming-Yan YANG1,  Hong-Wei ZHENG4,  Shi-Jun LI5( ),  Jian CAO5( )
Medical School of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
Department of Cardiology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Department of Cardiology, Tangshan Gongren Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Tangshan, China
Geriatric Cardiology Department of the Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

*The authors contributed equally to this manuscript

Cite this article:
GUAN B, CHEN X-Q, LIU Y, et al. Causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on the risk of heart failure: a Mendelian randomization study. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, 2023, 20(3): 195-204. https://doi.org/10.26599/1671-5411.2023.03.007
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Abstract Full text About this article
BACKGROUND

Observational studies suggest inverse associations between serum vitamin levels and the risk of heart failure (HF). However, the causal effects of vitamins on HF have not been fully elucidated. Here, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal associations between genetically determined vitamin levels and HF.

METHODS

Genetic instrumental variables for circulating vitamin levels, including vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, which were assessed as either absolute or metabolite levels were obtained from public genome-wide association studies. Summary statistics for single-nucleotide-polymorphisms and HF associations were retrieved from the HERMES Consortium (47,309 cases and 930,014 controls) and FinnGen Study (30,098 cases and 229,612 controls). Two-sample MR analyses were implemented to assess the causality between vitamin levels and HF per outcome database, and the results were subsequently combined by meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Our MR study did not find significant associations between genetically determined circulating vitamin levels and HF risk. For absolute vitamin levels, the odds ratio for HF ranged from 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85–1.09, P = 0.41) for vitamin C to 1.05 (95% CI: 0.61–1.82, P = 0.85) for vitamin A. For vitamin metabolites, the odds ratio ranged between 0.94 (95% CI: 0.75–1.19, P = 0.62) for α-tocopherol and 1.11 (95% CI: 0.98–1.26, P = 0.09) for γ-tocopherol.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from our study does not support the causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on HF. Therefore, there may be no direct beneficial effects of vitamin intake on the prevention of primary HF.


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Abstract
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About this article

Causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on the risk of heart failure: a Mendelian randomization study

Show Author's information Bo GUAN1,*, Xiao-Qiang CHEN2,*, Yan LIU2,*, Hui ZHOU3, Ming-Yan YANG1, Hong-Wei ZHENG4, Shi-Jun LI5( ), Jian CAO5( )
Medical School of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
Department of Cardiology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Department of Cardiology, Tangshan Gongren Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Tangshan, China
Geriatric Cardiology Department of the Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

*The authors contributed equally to this manuscript

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Observational studies suggest inverse associations between serum vitamin levels and the risk of heart failure (HF). However, the causal effects of vitamins on HF have not been fully elucidated. Here, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal associations between genetically determined vitamin levels and HF.

METHODS

Genetic instrumental variables for circulating vitamin levels, including vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, which were assessed as either absolute or metabolite levels were obtained from public genome-wide association studies. Summary statistics for single-nucleotide-polymorphisms and HF associations were retrieved from the HERMES Consortium (47,309 cases and 930,014 controls) and FinnGen Study (30,098 cases and 229,612 controls). Two-sample MR analyses were implemented to assess the causality between vitamin levels and HF per outcome database, and the results were subsequently combined by meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Our MR study did not find significant associations between genetically determined circulating vitamin levels and HF risk. For absolute vitamin levels, the odds ratio for HF ranged from 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85–1.09, P = 0.41) for vitamin C to 1.05 (95% CI: 0.61–1.82, P = 0.85) for vitamin A. For vitamin metabolites, the odds ratio ranged between 0.94 (95% CI: 0.75–1.19, P = 0.62) for α-tocopherol and 1.11 (95% CI: 0.98–1.26, P = 0.09) for γ-tocopherol.

CONCLUSION

Evidence from our study does not support the causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on HF. Therefore, there may be no direct beneficial effects of vitamin intake on the prevention of primary HF.

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Published: 03 April 2023
Issue date: March 2023

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© 2023 JGC All rights reserved

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the HERMES Consortium, SUNLIGHT consortium, ATBC Study, PLCO Cancer Screening Trial, TwinsUK cohort, InCHIANTI study, SardiNIA study, BLSA study, KORA study, Fenland study, EPIC-InterAct study, EPIC Norfolk study, EPIC-CVD study and other GWAS involved in our analysis for providing a publicly available GWAS dataset.

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