Atrial fibrillation and kidney function: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Sehoon Park, Soojin Lee, Yaerim Kim, Yeonhee Lee, Min Woo Kang, Kwangsoo Kim, Yong Chul Kim, Seung Seok Han, Hajeong Lee, Jung Pyo Lee, Kwon Wook Joo, Chun Soo Lim, Yon Su Kim, Dong Ki Kim
Abstract
AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the causal effects between atrial fibrillation (AF) and kidney function. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a bidirectional summary-level Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis implementing the results from a large-scale genome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by the CKDGen (N = 765 348) and AF (N = 588 190) to identify genetic instruments. The inverse variance weighted method was the main MR method used. For replication, an allele score-based MR was performed by individual-level data within a UK Biobank cohort of white British ancestry individuals (N = 337 138). A genetic predisposition to AF was significantly associated with decreased eGFR [for log-eGFR, beta -0.003 (standard error, 0.0005), P < 0.001] and increased risk of chronic kidney disease [beta 0.059 (0.0126), P < 0.001]. The significance remained in MR sensitivity analyses and the causal estimates were consistent when we limited the analysis to individuals of European ancestry. Genetically predicted eGFR did not show a significant association with the risk of AF [beta -0.366 (0.275), P = 0.183]. The results were similar in allele score-based MR, as allele score for AF was significantly associated with reduced eGFR [for continuous eGFR, beta -0.079 (0.021), P < 0.001], but allele score for eGFR did not show a significant association with risk of AF [beta -0.005 (0.008), P = 0.530]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports that AF is a causal risk factor for kidney function impairment. However, an effect of kidney function on AF was not identified in this study.