ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2021
The causal effects of serum lipids and apolipoproteins on kidney function: multivariable and bidirectional Mendelian-randomization analyses.
Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lipid levels and risk of acute pancreatitis using bidirectional Mendelian randomization.Scientific reports · 2024Pooled it
- Multi-Omics Mendelian Randomization Maps Lipid-Related Brain Cell-Type Associations with Kidney Disease.Genes · 2026Article
- Causal Effect of Kidney Function on Lipid Metabolism: An Integrated Population-Scale Observational Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Study.Kidney medicine · 2026Article
- Causal Effect of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol on Chronic Kidney Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study.Biochemistry research international · 2026Article
- The shared genetic architecture between schizophrenia and common peripheral organ imaging phenotypes.Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Causal effect of severe and non-severe malaria on dyslipidemia in African Ancestry individuals: A Mendelian randomization study.Annals of human genetics · 2025Article
- Kidney Function Measures and Mortality: A Mendelian Randomization Study.American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation · 2024Article
- Lipid Toxicity in the Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome (CKMS).Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Causal association of plasma circulating metabolites with nephritis: a Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Causality between allergic diseases and kidney diseases: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Evaluation of bi-directional causal association between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and diabetic microangiopathy: a Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2024Article
- Understanding the relationship between circulating lipids and risk of chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study and large-scale genetic analyses.Journal of translational medicine · 2023Article
- Genetic variations in HMGCR and PCSK9 and kidney function: a Mendelian randomization study.Kidney research and clinical practice · 2023Article
- Cohort Profile Update: The HUNT Study, Norway.International journal of epidemiology · 2023Article
- The HUNT study: A population-based cohort for genetic research.Cell genomics · 2022Article
- Association between socioeconomic position and cystatin C in the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study.Scientific reports · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe causal nature of the observed associations between serum lipids and apolipoproteins and kidney function are unclear.
methodsUsing two-sample and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR), we examined the causal effects of serum lipids and apolipoproteins on kidney function, indicated by the glomerular-filtration rate estimated using creatinine (eGFRcrea) or cystatin C (eGFRcys) and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). We obtained lipid- and apolipoprotein-associated genetic variants from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (n = 331 368) and UK Biobank (n = 441 016), respectively, and kidney-function markers from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT; n = 69 736) and UK Biobank (n = 464 207). The reverse causal direction was examined using variants associated with kidney-function markers selected from recent genome-wide association studies.
resultsThere were no strong associations between genetically predicted lipid and apolipoprotein levels with kidney-function markers. Some, but inconsistent, evidence suggested a weak association of higher genetically predicted atherogenic lipid levels [indicated by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides and apolipoprotein B] with increased eGFR and UACR. For high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), results differed between eGFRcrea and eGFRcys, but neither analysis suggested substantial effects. We found no clear evidence of a reverse causal effect of eGFR on lipid or apolipoprotein traits, but higher UACR was associated with higher LDL-C, triglyceride and apolipoprotein B levels.
conclusionOur MR estimates suggest that serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels do not cause substantial changes in kidney function. A possible weak effect of higher atherogenic lipids on increased eGFR and UACR warrants further investigation. Processes leading to higher UACR may lead to more atherogenic lipid levels.
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