Diabetes exerts a causal impact on the nervous system within the right hippocampus: substantiated by genetic data

Qian Long, Piao Huang, Jian Kuang, Yu Huang (Lead / Corresponding author), Haixia Guan (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes and neuronal loss in the hippocampus have been observed to be correlated in several studies; however, the exact causality of this association remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the potential causal relationship between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system. Methods: We utilized the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the potential causal connection between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system. The summary statistics of Genome-wide association study (GWAS) for diabetes and hippocampus neuroimaging measurement were acquired from published GWASs, all of which were based on European ancestry. Several two-sample MR analyses were conducted in this study, utilizing inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, and Weight-median methods. To ensure the reliability of the results and identify any horizontal pleiotropy, sensitivity analyses were undertaken using Cochran’s Q test and the MR-PRESSO global test. Results: Causal associations were found between diabetes and the nervous system in the hippocampus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes were both identified as having adverse causal connections with the right hippocampal nervous system. This was supported by specific ranges of IVW-OR values (P < 0.05). The consistency of the sensitivity analyses further reinforced the main findings, revealing no significant heterogeneity or presence of horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusions: This study delved into the causal associations between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system, revealing that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have detrimental effects on the right hippocampal nervous system. Our findings have significant clinical implications as they indicate that diabetes may play a role in the decline of neurons in the right hippocampus among European populations, often resulting in cognitive decline.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages10
JournalEndocrine
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • Causal effect
  • Cognitive function
  • Diabetes
  • Hippocampus
  • Mendelian randomization
  • Nervous system

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology

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