The causal relationship between obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation: a study based on mediated Mendelian randomization

Abstract

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that is associated with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). Obesity and OSA may increase the risk of AF by affecting cardiovascular health.MethodsThe study used the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, combined with two-sample and multivariable analyses, to assess the relationships between obesity, OSA, and AF. The study utilized GWAS data and applied various statistical methods for the analysis.ResultsThe study found that obesity increased the risk of OSA, which in turn significantly increased the risk of AF. Through mediating MR analysis, it was found that OSA played a certain role in the causal relationship between obesity and AF, with about 6.4% of the risk of AF being mediated by OSA.ConclusionThis study highlights the relationships among obesity, OSA, and AF, providing useful guidance for future clinical researches.