To investigate the bidirectional causality between cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and pneumonia using Mendelian randomization analysis, highlighting its significance in clinical practice.
Key Findings:
Significant positive genetic correlation between CVDs and pneumonia identified.
Genetically predicted ischaemic stroke was causally associated with pneumonia (OR: 1.119, 95% CI: 1.031–1.393).
Causality for pneumonia affecting CVDs was not detected.
Causal association of ischaemic stroke with pneumonia attenuated after adjusting for deep venous thrombosis.
Interpretation:
Ischaemic stroke increases the risk of pneumonia, while pneumonia does not causally affect CVDs, suggesting that thrombosis risk screening may help reduce pneumonia incidence in stroke patients.
Limitations:
Study relies on existing GWAS data, which may have inherent biases.
Causality cannot be definitively established due to potential unmeasured confounding.
The impact of sample size on the robustness of the findings is not addressed.
Conclusion:
The study supports a causal link between ischaemic stroke and pneumonia, highlighting the need for thrombosis risk screening in stroke patients to mitigate pneumonia risk, which is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
