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Semin Thromb Hemost 2023; 49(07): 679-687
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1760335
Review Article

Causal Associations Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Venous Thromboembolism

Mengjin Hu
1   Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
,
Xiaosong Li
1   Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
,
Yuejin Yang
1   Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
› Author Affiliations Funding This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC1700503), CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2016-I2M-1-009), and the Twelfth Five-Year Planning Project of the Scientific and Technological Department of China (2011BAI11B02).
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Abstract

Objective The aim of the study is to assess the causal effects of cardiovascular risk factors on venous thromboembolism (VTE) and its subtypes including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods A summary-level Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed by extracting data from public and large-scale genome-wide association studies for cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], type 2 diabetes, fasting glucose, body mass index [BMI], smoking, alcohol, and physical activity), VTE, DVT, and PE to identify genetic instruments.

Results BMI (per standard deviation [SD] increase; odds ratio [OR]: 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.54; p = 8.02 × 10−10) could increase the VTE risk, whereas SBP (per SD increase; OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98–0.99; p = 0.0005) could decrease the VTE risk. For DVT, BMI (per SD increase; OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.28–1.72; p = 1.53 × 10−7) could increase the risk, whereas physical activity (per SD increase; OR: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01–0.33; p = 0.0020) could decrease the risk. For PE, BMI (per SD increase; OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.12–1.49; p = 0.0005) could increase the risk, whereas SBP (per SD increase; OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98–1.00; p = 0.0032) could decrease the risk. Suggestive evidence between smoking and higher risks of VTE and DVT was also observed.

Conclusion Our study supports that BMI is a causal risk factor for VTE, DVT, and PE. SBP is a protective factor for VTE and PE. Physical activity is a protective factor for DVT. However, the effects of other cardiovascular risk factors are not identified.

Keywords

coronary heart disease - venous thromboembolism - deep venous thrombosis - pulmonary embolism - cardiovascular risk factors - Mendelian randomization

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
11 January 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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