Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35388897›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2022

Simulated distributions from negative experiments highlight the importance of the body mass index distribution in explaining depression-body mass index genetic risk score interactions.

Francesco Casanova, Jessica O'Loughlin, Cathryn Lewis, Timothy M Frayling, Andrew R Wood, Jessica Tyrrell

Abstract read
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Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Francesco CasanovaGenetics of Complex Traits, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0275-4765
Jessica O'LoughlinGenetics of Complex Traits, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Cathryn LewisSocial, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Timothy M FraylingGenetics of Complex Traits, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Andrew R WoodGenetics of Complex Traits, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Jessica TyrrellGenetics of Complex Traits, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9256-6065

Funding

British Heart Foundation SBF004\1079Medical Research Council MC_PC_17228Medical Research Council MC_QA137853Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDepression and obesity are complex global health problems. Recent studies suggest that a genetic predisposition to obesity might be accentuated in people with depression, but these analyses are prone to bias. Here, we tested the hypothesis that depression accentuates genetic susceptibility to obesity and applied negative control experiments to test whether any observed interactions were real or driven by confounding and statistical biases.

methodsWe used data from up to 378 000 Europeans in UK Biobank, a 73 variant body mass index (BMI) genetic risk score, two depression measures [depression symptoms (DS), major depression (MD)] and an antidepressant usage variable available. We tested whether (i) depression and (ii) antidepressant treatment accentuated genetic susceptibility to obesity. Finally, we performed negative control experiments by sampling individuals at random so that they had BMI distributions identical to depression cases and controls.

resultsDepression was associated with an accentuation of an individual's genetic risk of obesity with evidence of interactions for both DS and MD (Pinteraction = 7 × 10-4 and 7 × 10-5 respectively). Antidepressant usage within DS cases accentuated genetic obesity risk (Pinteraction = 9 × 10-4), but not for MD (Pinteraction = 0.13). Negative control experiments suggested that the observed interactions for MD (empirical-P = 0.067) may be driven by statistical biases or confounding factors but were not possible with the larger DS groups. Antidepressant usage interaction also appears to be driven by statistical artefacts (empirical-P = 0.510 using MD and 0.162 using DS).

conclusionWe have highlighted the importance of running negative experiments to confirm putative interactions in gene-environment studies. We provide some tentative evidence that depression accentuates an individual's genetic susceptibility to higher BMI but demonstrated that the BMI distributions within cases and controls might drive these interactions.

Indexed as

Genetic Predisposition to DiseaseMajor Depressive DisorderBody Mass IndexDepressionHumansObesityRisk FactorsDepressiongene–environment interactionobesityUK Biobank

Identifiers

PMID35388897
PMCPMC9557895

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.