Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population

Abstract Background Observational studies can suggest potential associations between variables but cannot establish a causal effect on their own. This study explored the causal associations between body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), and joint sports injuries. Methods We conducted two-sam...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wen Bi, Mengyue Yang, Changqing Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2023-09-01
Series:Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-04172-y
_version_ 1797452026344374272
author Wen Bi
Mengyue Yang
Changqing Jiang
author_facet Wen Bi
Mengyue Yang
Changqing Jiang
author_sort Wen Bi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Observational studies can suggest potential associations between variables but cannot establish a causal effect on their own. This study explored the causal associations between body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), and joint sports injuries. Methods We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using publicly accessed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) datasets to investigate the causal effects of BMI and PA on joint sports injury risk. The inverse-variance weighted method was believed to be the primary MR analysis. Subsequently, sensitivity, pleiotropy, and heterogeneity analyses were employed to estimate the reliability of the results of the current research. Results Genetically predicted increased BMI was causally related to the higher sports injury risk of the ankle–foot (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09–1.37, p = 4.20E−04), knee (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.21–1.43, p = 1.57E−11), and shoulder (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08–1.40, p = 1.28E−03). Further, the mentioned effects were validated using another set of GWAS data on BMI. Similar causal linkages were exhibited between increased BMI and the growing risk of sports injuries of the ankle–foot (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.13–1.60, p = 9.51E−04), knee (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09–1.45, p = 1.63E−03), and shoulder (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.09–1.67, p = 5.66E−03). Additionally, accelerometer-based PA measurement (overall average acceleration) (AccAve) was negatively related to sports injuries of the ankle–foot (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–0.99, p = 0.046) and lumbar spine (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51–0.92, p = 0.012). Furthermore, we verified that the effect of AccAve on the risk of injury at the ankle–foot still had statistical significance after adjusting BMI. Results were verified as reliable under all sensitive analyses. Conclusions This research determined that a higher BMI could raise the sports injury risk of the ankle–foot, knee, and shoulder, while an overall average acceleration PA could reduce the injury risk of the ankle–foot and lumbar spine. These conclusions contribute to a greater knowledge of the roles of BMI and PA in the mechanism of joint sports injuries and offer several suggestions for patients and clinicians.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T15:02:49Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3c4a8af0fb5849798e539dd94832d063
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1749-799X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T15:02:49Z
publishDate 2023-09-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
spelling doaj.art-3c4a8af0fb5849798e539dd94832d0632023-11-26T13:48:17ZengBMCJournal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research1749-799X2023-09-011811910.1186/s13018-023-04172-yCausal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European populationWen Bi0Mengyue Yang1Changqing Jiang2Department of Sports Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science CenterDepartment of Cardiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science CenterDepartment of Sports Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science CenterAbstract Background Observational studies can suggest potential associations between variables but cannot establish a causal effect on their own. This study explored the causal associations between body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), and joint sports injuries. Methods We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using publicly accessed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) datasets to investigate the causal effects of BMI and PA on joint sports injury risk. The inverse-variance weighted method was believed to be the primary MR analysis. Subsequently, sensitivity, pleiotropy, and heterogeneity analyses were employed to estimate the reliability of the results of the current research. Results Genetically predicted increased BMI was causally related to the higher sports injury risk of the ankle–foot (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09–1.37, p = 4.20E−04), knee (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.21–1.43, p = 1.57E−11), and shoulder (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08–1.40, p = 1.28E−03). Further, the mentioned effects were validated using another set of GWAS data on BMI. Similar causal linkages were exhibited between increased BMI and the growing risk of sports injuries of the ankle–foot (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.13–1.60, p = 9.51E−04), knee (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09–1.45, p = 1.63E−03), and shoulder (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.09–1.67, p = 5.66E−03). Additionally, accelerometer-based PA measurement (overall average acceleration) (AccAve) was negatively related to sports injuries of the ankle–foot (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–0.99, p = 0.046) and lumbar spine (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51–0.92, p = 0.012). Furthermore, we verified that the effect of AccAve on the risk of injury at the ankle–foot still had statistical significance after adjusting BMI. Results were verified as reliable under all sensitive analyses. Conclusions This research determined that a higher BMI could raise the sports injury risk of the ankle–foot, knee, and shoulder, while an overall average acceleration PA could reduce the injury risk of the ankle–foot and lumbar spine. These conclusions contribute to a greater knowledge of the roles of BMI and PA in the mechanism of joint sports injuries and offer several suggestions for patients and clinicians.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-04172-yMendelian randomizationBody mass indexPhysical activityJoint sports injuriesFinnGenCausal relationship
spellingShingle Wen Bi
Mengyue Yang
Changqing Jiang
Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
Mendelian randomization
Body mass index
Physical activity
Joint sports injuries
FinnGen
Causal relationship
title Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
title_full Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
title_fullStr Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
title_full_unstemmed Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
title_short Causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries: Mendelian randomization analysis in the European population
title_sort causal effect of body mass index and physical activity on the risk of joint sports injuries mendelian randomization analysis in the european population
topic Mendelian randomization
Body mass index
Physical activity
Joint sports injuries
FinnGen
Causal relationship
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-04172-y
work_keys_str_mv AT wenbi causaleffectofbodymassindexandphysicalactivityontheriskofjointsportsinjuriesmendelianrandomizationanalysisintheeuropeanpopulation
AT mengyueyang causaleffectofbodymassindexandphysicalactivityontheriskofjointsportsinjuriesmendelianrandomizationanalysisintheeuropeanpopulation
AT changqingjiang causaleffectofbodymassindexandphysicalactivityontheriskofjointsportsinjuriesmendelianrandomizationanalysisintheeuropeanpopulation