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Higher genetically predicted bone mineral density is causally associated with a lower risk of GERD, while GERD shows no causal effect on osteoporosis.
A genetic study led by Qinghua Yang suggests that higher bone mineral density (BMD) may offer a protective effect against gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), while no causal link was found between GERD and osteoporosis. Using a two-sample, bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, researchers investigated whether the previously observed links between GERD and osteoporosis reflect a true causal relationship.
GERD-related genetic data were procured from genome-wide association studies involving 129,080 cases and 473,524 controls. For osteoporosis, BMD served as the phenotypic marker, with data gathered from 537,750 individuals. This included total body BMD (TB-BMD), age-stratified TB-BMD, and site-specific BMD estimations from the femoral neck, lumbar spine, ultra-distal forearm, and heel.
The study utilized multiple MR techniques, including the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis, along with MR-Egger regression and the MR-PRESSO test. To ascertain the reliability of the results, sensitivity analyses were performed via the MR-Egger intercept, Cochran’s Q test, and a leave-one-out analysis. The results revealed no vital causal link between a genetic predisposition to GERD and lower BMD or osteoporosis.
However, higher genetically predicted BMD was markedly linked with a lower risk of GERD. For example, the odds ratio (OR) for TB-BMD was 0.941, while TB-BMD-1, TB-BMD-3, and TB-BMD-4 also showed similarly protective associations. These findings, supported by robust sensitivity analyses, suggest that lower BMD may contribute to GERD development, whereas GERD itself does not appear to trigger bone loss. The study highlights the broader health implications of maintaining good bone health, not only for preventing fractures but also for potentially minimizing the risk of gastrointestinal ailments like GERD.
Medicine (Baltimore)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease and osteoporosis: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Qinghua Yang et al.
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