Recent research, published in the Journal of Translational Internal Medicine, delves into the intriguing association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and cardiovascular health. GERD, primarily recognized as a digestive disorder characterized by acid reflux and heartburn, has now been implicated in influencing significant cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and lipid profiles. The study employs a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, a robust method that uses genetic data to make causal inferences, providing more conclusive evidence than traditional observational studies.
By utilizing genetic variants linked to GERD as instrumental variables, researchers investigated its potential causal role in cardiovascular conditions. The study incorporated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that included over 600,000 participants, with 129,000 individuals diagnosed with GERD. It also used cardiovascular data from a European cohort exceeding 200,000 individuals. Key blood pressure metrics analyzed included systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Advanced MR techniques such as Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) analysis, MR Egger regression, and the Weighted Median approach were utilized to control for pleiotropic effects, enhancing the reliability of the findings.
GERD and Elevated Blood Pressure
The study’s findings pointed to a strong association between GERD and elevated blood pressure, revealing that genetically predicted GERD was linked to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Specifically, the results showed a significant increase in SBP (with a β coefficient of 0.053 and a P-value of 0.036) and DBP (with a β coefficient of 0.100 and a P-value of less than 0.001). These findings suggest that GERD could exacerbate hypertension, a critical risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. The genetic approach bolstered the causative inference, suggesting that managing GERD could have broader health implications beyond the digestive system.
Moreover, the study’s use of several MR techniques provided robust control over potential confounding variables, thereby strengthening the causal inference. The use of IVW analysis, MR Egger regression, and the Weighted Median approach ensured that the findings were not unduly influenced by pleiotropy or other biases. This multidimensional methodological rigor makes the association between GERD and elevated blood pressure more compelling, potentially prompting changes in clinical practices related to the management of GERD and hypertension.
Impact on Lipid Profiles and Cardiovascular Disease
In addition to blood pressure, GERD was found to significantly affect lipid profiles, with genetically predicted GERD linked to increased levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. The specific results indicated a β coefficient of 0.093 for LDL cholesterol (P
