A causal association between obesity and constipation: a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization study and meta-analysis.

Objective: Observational studies suggest a potential link between obesity and constipation, but existing results are conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study and meta-analysis to assess the causal relationship between obesity and the risk of constipation. Methods: In this study, independent genetic variants closely related to constipation were acquired from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to analyze the relationship between genetically predisposed obesity and the risk of constipation. Waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) were collected from the GWAS. Then, the causal relationship between constipation and obesity was explored using a two-sample MR study in both directions. The robustness of the results was evaluated using sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a systemic review and meta-analysis were performed to calculate relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Subgroup analyses stratified by age and obesity degree were completed. To evaluate whether the current studies were affected by unmeasured confounders, Results: In MR analysis, the incidence of constipation increased with the increase in BMI [inverse variance-weighted (IVW) odds ratio (OR) = 1.138 (1.029, 1.260), Conclusion: In this combined MR study and meta-analysis, obesity is associated with an increased risk of constipation. The MR analysis demonstrates the causal relationship between genetically predisposed obesity and the risk of constipation. More research is required to investigate the potential correlation between obesity and the risk of constipation and associated mechanisms.