Leveraging Mendelian randomization strategies to identify modifiable lifestyle factors causally related to osteoporosis pathogenesis — ASN Events
  1. Schedule
  2. Pre-conference satellite meeting - The Genetics of Bone Disease: practical approaches and applications
  3. Leveraging Mendelian randomization strategies to identify modifiable lifestyle factors causally related to osteoporosis pathogenesis

Leveraging Mendelian randomization strategies to identify modifiable lifestyle factors causally related to osteoporosis pathogenesis (#6)

David Evans 1 2 , John P Kemp 1 2
  1. University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
  2. MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol

Observational studies show that bone mineral density is significantly correlated with a variety of potentially modifiable environmental lifestyle factors. However without performing randomized controlled trials it is difficult to know whether these observational associations reflect causal relationships or spurious confounding. Mendelian randomization (MR) is an epidemiological technique that uses genetic variants to estimate the causal relationship between modifiable environmental exposures and health related outcomes. In this presentation I outline the ideas behind MR, assumptions behind the technique, and how to perform an MR analysis. I present an example of how we have successfully used MR to demonstrate a causal effect of adiposity on increased bone mineral density. Finally, I introduce “MRBase”, a freely available web application that allows researchers to quickly and easily perform a range of MR analyses on publicly available genetic association data.