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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Thromb Haemost
DOI: 10.1055/a-2308-2290
Stroke, Systemic or Venous Thromboembolism

The Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Venous Thromboembolism: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study

Zhihai Huang   *
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Zhenzhen Zheng   *
2   Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Lingpin Pang   *
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Kaili Fu
2   Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Junfen Cheng
2   Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Ming Zhong
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Lingyue Song
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Dingyu Guo
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Qiaoyun Chen
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Yanxi Li
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Yongting Lv
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Riken Chen
2   Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
,
Xishi Sun
1   Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was supported by the High-level Talents Scientific Research Start-up Funds of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University (GCC2022028), the Health Development Promotion Project-Anesthesia and Critical Care Research Project (KM-20231120-01), Guangdong Medical Research Fund Project (A2024728, A2024723), Zhanjiang Science and Technology Research Project in 2022 (No: 2022A01197), and the Science and Technology Development Special Fund Competitive Allocation Project of Zhanjiang City (No: 2021A05086).
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Abstract

Background Despite previous observational studies linking obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to venous thromboembolism (VTE), these findings remain controversial. This study aimed to explore the association between OSA and VTE, including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), at a genetic level using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods Utilizing summary-level data from large-scale genome-wide association studies in European individuals, we designed a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis to comprehensively assess the genetic association between OSA and VTE. The inverse variance weighted was used as the primary method for MR analysis. In addition, MR–Egger, weighted median, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used for complementary analyses. Furthermore, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the validity and robustness of the results.

Results The initial and validation MR analyses indicated that genetically predicted OSA had no effects on the risk of VTE (including PE and DVT). Likewise, the reverse MR analysis did not find substantial support for a significant association between VTE (including PE and DVT) and OSA. Supplementary MR methods and sensitivity analyses provided additional confirmation of the reliability of the MR results.

Conclusion Our bidirectional two-sample MR analysis did not find genetic evidence supporting a significant association between OSA and VTE in either direction.

Keywords

obstructive sleep apnea - venous thromboembolism - Mendelian randomization - association

Data Availability Statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.


Authors' Contribution

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.


* These authors contributed equally to this study.




Publication History

Received: 27 November 2023

Accepted: 11 April 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
17 April 2024

Article published online:
23 May 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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