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Obesity Partially Mediates the Diabetogenic Effect of Lowering LDL Cholesterol

Wu, P ; Hindy, George LU ; Ericson, Ulrika LU ; Orho-Melander, Marju LU and Merino, Jordi LU (2022) In Diabetes Care 45(1). p.232-240
Abstract
OBJECTIVE LDL cholesterol (LDLc)-lowering drugs modestly increase body weight and type 2 diabetes risk, but the extent to which the diabetogenic effect of lowering LDLc is mediated through increased BMI is unknown. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted summary-level univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in 921,908 participants to investigate the effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes risk and the proportion of this effect mediated through BMI. We used data from 92,532 participants from 14 observational studies to replicate findings in individual-level MR analyses. RESULTS A 1-SD decrease in genetically predicted LDLc was associated with increased type 2 diabetes odds (odds ratio [OR] 1.12 [95% CI 1.01,... (More)
OBJECTIVE LDL cholesterol (LDLc)-lowering drugs modestly increase body weight and type 2 diabetes risk, but the extent to which the diabetogenic effect of lowering LDLc is mediated through increased BMI is unknown. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted summary-level univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in 921,908 participants to investigate the effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes risk and the proportion of this effect mediated through BMI. We used data from 92,532 participants from 14 observational studies to replicate findings in individual-level MR analyses. RESULTS A 1-SD decrease in genetically predicted LDLc was associated with increased type 2 diabetes odds (odds ratio [OR] 1.12 [95% CI 1.01, 1.24]) and BMI (b 5 0.07 SD units [95% CI 0.02, 0.12]) in univariable MR analyses. The multivariable MR analysis showed evidence of an indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI (OR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01, 1.08]) with a proportion mediated of 38% of the total effect (P 5 0.03). Total and indirect effect estimates were similar across a number of sensitivity analyses. Individual-level MR analyses confirmed the indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI with an estimated proportion mediated of 8% (P 5 0.04). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the diabetogenic effect attributed to lowering LDLc is partially mediated through increased BMI. Our results could help advance understanding of adipose tissue and lipids in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and inform strategies to reduce diabetes risk among individuals taking LDLc-lowering medications. © 2021 by the American Diabetes Association. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
author collaboration
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Diabetes Care
volume
45
issue
1
pages
9 pages
publisher
American Diabetes Association
external identifiers
  • scopus:85122801186
  • pmid:34789503
ISSN
1935-5548
DOI
10.2337/dc21-1284
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
41aa49dd-a500-44e8-9f88-bd73e02f96dd
date added to LUP
2022-03-01 08:12:06
date last changed
2022-04-24 18:15:52
@article{41aa49dd-a500-44e8-9f88-bd73e02f96dd,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVE LDL cholesterol (LDLc)-lowering drugs modestly increase body weight and type 2 diabetes risk, but the extent to which the diabetogenic effect of lowering LDLc is mediated through increased BMI is unknown. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted summary-level univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in 921,908 participants to investigate the effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes risk and the proportion of this effect mediated through BMI. We used data from 92,532 participants from 14 observational studies to replicate findings in individual-level MR analyses. RESULTS A 1-SD decrease in genetically predicted LDLc was associated with increased type 2 diabetes odds (odds ratio [OR] 1.12 [95% CI 1.01, 1.24]) and BMI (b 5 0.07 SD units [95% CI 0.02, 0.12]) in univariable MR analyses. The multivariable MR analysis showed evidence of an indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI (OR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01, 1.08]) with a proportion mediated of 38% of the total effect (P 5 0.03). Total and indirect effect estimates were similar across a number of sensitivity analyses. Individual-level MR analyses confirmed the indirect effect of lowering LDLc on type 2 diabetes through BMI with an estimated proportion mediated of 8% (P 5 0.04). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the diabetogenic effect attributed to lowering LDLc is partially mediated through increased BMI. Our results could help advance understanding of adipose tissue and lipids in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology and inform strategies to reduce diabetes risk among individuals taking LDLc-lowering medications. © 2021 by the American Diabetes Association.}},
  author       = {{Wu, P and Hindy, George and Ericson, Ulrika and Orho-Melander, Marju and Merino, Jordi}},
  issn         = {{1935-5548}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{232--240}},
  publisher    = {{American Diabetes Association}},
  series       = {{Diabetes Care}},
  title        = {{Obesity Partially Mediates the Diabetogenic Effect of Lowering LDL Cholesterol}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc21-1284}},
  doi          = {{10.2337/dc21-1284}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}