Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34906131›Full record

SynthesisBMC medicine2021

Causal role of high body mass index in multiple chronic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization studies.

Susanna C Larsson, Stephen Burgess

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 153 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
153citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
28.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

153 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 261 citations in OpenAlex.

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  18. Palmitoylethanolamide in Human and Animal Obesity.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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93 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Susanna C LarssonUnit of Medical Epidemiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. susanna.larsson@ki.se.ORCID 0000-0003-0118-0341
Stephen BurgessDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
University of Cambridge · GBUppsala University · SE

Funding

British Heart Foundation CH/12/2/29428British Heart Foundation RG/13/13/30194British Heart Foundation RG/18/13/33946Medical Research Council MC_UU_00002/7Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 204623/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity is a worldwide epidemic that has been associated with a plurality of diseases in observational studies. The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence from Mendelian randomization (MR) studies of the association between body mass index (BMI) and chronic diseases.

methodsPubMed and Embase were searched for MR studies on adult BMI in relation to major chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus; diseases of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems; and neoplasms. A meta-analysis was performed for each disease by using results from published MR studies and corresponding de novo analyses based on summary-level genetic data from the FinnGen consortium (n = 218,792 individuals).

resultsIn a meta-analysis of results from published MR studies and de novo analyses of the FinnGen consortium, genetically predicted higher BMI was associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, 14 circulatory disease outcomes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, five digestive system diseases, three musculoskeletal system diseases, and multiple sclerosis as well as cancers of the digestive system (six cancer sites), uterus, kidney, and bladder. In contrast, genetically predicted higher adult BMI was associated with a decreased risk of Dupuytren's disease, osteoporosis, and breast, prostate, and non-melanoma cancer, and not associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Parkinson's disease.

conclusionsThe totality of the evidence from MR studies supports a causal role of excess adiposity in a plurality of chronic diseases. Hence, continued efforts to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity are a major public health goal.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Multiple Chronic ConditionsAdiposityAdultBody Mass IndexFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideBody mass indexCancerCardiovascular diseaseChronic diseasesObesity

Identifiers

PMID34906131
PMCPMC8672504
OpenAlexW4200304594

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.