A Mendelian randomization-based study on the causal relationship between body mass index and slipped discs

Abstract Objective To make suggestions for clinical prevention and treatment, this study will investigate the causal connection between body mass index and slipped discs. Methods The relationship between BMI and slipped discs(SD)was investigated using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, which used inverse-variance-weighted, IVW, MR-Egger regression, weighted median estimator (WME), and gene-wide association study (GWAS) analyses on pooled data. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is closely associated with BMI, was chosen as an instrumental variable from the GWAS, and SD was used as the outcome variable.For a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal link between BMI and SD., weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted median estimator (WME) were used. The extracted data were collected from Europe. For to assess the causal relationship between BMI and SD, sensitivity analysis was also carried out using the leave-one-out method, MR-Egger regression intercept test for multiple validities, Cochran's Q test, funnel plot to observe heterogeneity and symmetry, scatter plot to observe the directional consistency of the algorithm, and OR and 95% CI. For BMI, the data included a sample size of 454,884 individuals with 985,867 SNPs, and for SD the sample size was 462,933 individuals with 985,867 SNPs. Results The results of MR Egger, WME, and IVW analyses on a total of 419 SNPs linked to BMI were calculated as follows: MR Egger (OR 1.002, 95% CI 0.997-1.007), WME (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.000-1.006), and IVW (OR value 1.004, 95% CI 1.002-1.006). OR values >1 showed a positive correlation between elevated BMI and SD. WME's P value was 0.30>0.05, IVW's was 3.35>0.05, and the difference was statistically significant. MR Egger's P value was 0.407>0.05, not statistically significant, but the three techniques of analysis all pointed in the same direction. The aforementioned exposures' instrumental factors are not present for multivariate validity, according to the results of the MR-Egger regression, which showed an intercept of 4.2×10-5, a standard error of 4.6×10-5, and a P value of 0.364. Conclusions The occurrence of SD and BMI are causally related, and a rise in BMI may play a significant role in the development of SD.