Observational studyJournal of translational medicine2024
Statins as a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy: a Mendelian randomization and cross-sectional observational study.
Observational study in Journal of translational medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mendelian randomization studies on ischemic stroke: a field synopsis and systematic review.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Diabetic cerebral microvascular disorder: from key pathologies to targeted interventions.Annals of medicine · 2026Review
- Integrating Proteome-Wide Association Studies and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Identifies GSTT2B as a Causal Mediator and Prioritizes COL4A1 in Diabetic Retinopathy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- The protective effect of probiotic/prebiotic consumption against fatigue in the general population is modulated by BMI: an analysis of mediating and moderating effects based on NHANES.European journal of medical research · 2025Article
- Causal Relationship Between Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and Cataract: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study.Translational vision science & technology · 2025Article
- Na-Cl Cotransporter (SLC12A3) Inhibition Exacerbates Age-Related Macular Degeneration Via the Nrf2/HO-1 Ferroptosis Pathway.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2025Article
- Multi-omics analysis of potential metabolic networks linking peripheral metabolic changes to inflammatory retinal conditions in STZ-induced early diabetic retinopathy.Biochemistry and biophysics reports · 2025Article
- Understanding the risk of diabetic retinopathy from glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: a Mendelian randomization study and systematic review of European populations.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2025Article
- Exploring Therapeutic Targets for Age-Related Macular Degeneration From Circulating Proteins to Plasma Metabolites in the European Population.Translational vision science & technology · 2025Article
- What do You Need to Know after Diabetes and before Diabetic Retinopathy?Aging and disease · 2025Review
- Causal Association Between Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and Diabetic Microvascular Complications: A Drug-Target Mendelian Randomization Study.Journal of diabetes research · 2025Article
- Impact of lipid-lowering drug targets on genetic associations with diabetic retinopathy.Archives of medical science : AMS · 2025Article
- The intake of solid fat and cheese may be associated with a reduced risk of Helicobacter pylori infection status: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES 1999-2000.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Causal associations between smoking and ocular diseases: a Mendelian randomization study.Advances in ophthalmology practice and researchArticle
- Association between myopia and diabetic retinopathy: A two-sample mendelian randomization study.Advances in ophthalmology practice and researchArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is the foremost cause of vision loss among the global working-age population, and statins are among the most frequently prescribed drugs for lipid management in patients with DR. The exact relationship between statins and DR has not been determined. This study sought to validate the causal association between statins usage and diabetic retinopathy.
methodsThe summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) method and inverse-variance-weighted Mendelian randomization (IVW-MR) were used to identify the causal relationship between statins and DR via the use of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) (31,684 blood samples), low density lipoprotein cholesterol-related GWAS data (sample size: 440,546), and DR-related GWAS data (14,584 cases and 176,010 controls). Additionally, a cross-sectional observational study based on the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was conducted to supplement the association between DR and statins (sample size: 106,911). The odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was employed to evaluate the results.
resultsBased on the results of the MR analysis, HMGCR inhibitors were causally connected with a noticeably greater incidence of DR (IVW: OR = 0.54, 95% CI [0.42, 0.69], p = 0.000002; SMR: OR = 0.66, 95% CI [0.52, 0.84], p = 0.00073). Subgroup analysis revealed that the results were not affected by the severity of DR. The sensitivity analysis revealed the stability and reliability of the MR analysis results. The results from the cross-sectional study based on NHANES also support the association between not taking statins and a decreased risk of DR (OR = 0.54, 95% CI [0.37, 0.79], p = 0.001).
conclusionsThis study revealed that a significant increase in DR risk was causally related to statins use, providing novel insights into the role of statins in DR. However, further investigations are needed to verify these findings.
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Registered trials
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.