ArticleBMC medicine2020
The role of cortisol in ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk factors: a bi-directional Mendelian randomization study.
Article in BMC medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 98 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mendelian randomization studies on ischemic stroke: a field synopsis and systematic review.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Comorbidity Between Mood Disorders and Chronic Somatic Diseases, With a Focus on Cardiometabolic Disease, and Its Mechanistic Crosstalk.Depression and anxiety · 2026Review
- Correlation analysis of coagulation factor level and chronic low-grade inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with ischemic stroke.Open medicine (Warsaw, Poland) · 2026Article
- Synaptotagmin-7 drives stress-induced cardiomyocyte necroptosis via the p53-Bak-mPTP axis.Theranostics · 2026Article
- Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization and Multi-Omics Uncover Causal Serum Metabolites and Neuro-Related Mechanistic Pathways in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- The Bidirectional Relationship Between Myocardial Infarction and Depression: Risk Factors, Mechanisms, and Interventions.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- The role of phosphatidylinositol (18:1_18:1) in benign prostatic hyperplasia: an integrated study of Mendelian randomization and network pharmacology.World journal of urology · 2025Article
- Study on the Mechanisms of Ischemic Stroke Impacting Sleep Homeostasis and Circadian Rhythms in Rats.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2025Article
- Estimated glucose disposal rate mediates the association between Life's Crucial 9 and congestive heart failure: a population-based study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Genetically Predicted Causal Risk Factors for Preeclampsia: A Comprehensive Mendelian Randomization Study.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
- Serum Cortisol and Cardiovascular Disease Risk - A Potential Biomarker.Current cardiology reviews · 2025Review
- Mendelian randomization study on the association of circulating ketone bodies with lung cancer and respiratory diseases.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Exploring genetic links between blood metabolites and gout susceptibility.Clinical rheumatology · 2024Article
- Acceptability and Feasibility of Using Hair Samples for Chronic Stress Measurement Among Transgender Women in Brazil.Brain and behavior · 2024Article
- Association between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization study.Journal of diabetes · 2024Article
- Causal association of micronutrients and supplements with pressure ulcer: A Mendelian randomization study.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Large-scale genome-wide association studies reveal the genetic causal etiology between air pollutants and autoimmune diseases.Journal of translational medicine · 2024Article
- Maternal periodontitis may cause lower birth weight in children: genetic evidence from a comprehensive Mendelian randomization study on periodontitis and pregnancy.Clinical oral investigations · 2024Article
- The Role of Circadian Rhythms in Stroke: A Narrative Review.Neurochemical research · 2024Review
- The Role of Pro-Opiomelanocortin Derivatives in the Development of Type 2 Diabetes-Associated Myocardial Infarction: Possible Links with Prediabetes.Biomedicines · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCortisol, a steroid hormone frequently used as a biomarker of stress, is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To clarify whether cortisol causes these outcomes, we assessed the role of cortisol in ischemic heart disease (IHD), ischemic stroke, T2DM, and CVD risk factors using a bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) study.
methodsSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly (P < 5 × 10
resultsGenetically predicted cortisol (based on 6 SNPs from CORNET; F-statistic = 28.3) was not associated with IHD (odds ratio (OR) 0.98 per 1 unit increase in log-transformed cortisol, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-1.03), ischemic stroke (0.99, 95% CI 0.91-1.08), T2DM (1.00, 95% CI 0.96-1.04), or CVD risk factors. Genetically predicted IHD, ischemic stroke, and T2DM were not associated with cortisol.
conclusionsContrary to observational studies, genetically predicted cortisol was unrelated to IHD, ischemic stroke, T2DM, or CVD risk factors, or vice versa. Our MR results find no evidence that cortisol plays a role in cardiovascular risk, casting doubts on the cortisol-related pathway, although replication is warranted.
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