Thyroid Function, Diabetes, and Common Age-Related Eye Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors' conclusion
Genetic predisposition to AITD is associated with risk of diabetic retinopathy and cataract, mostly mediated through increased T1D risk. Reciprocal associations between AITD, diabetic retinopathy, and T1D imply a shared autoimmune origin.
Study context
- Population
- Publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from international consortia (ThyroidOmics, International AMD Genetics Consortium, deCODE, UK Biobank, FinnGen, DIAGRAM)
- Comparison
- Genetic predisposition to autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), and genetically predicted free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) within the reference range, vs common age-related eye diseases
- Outcome
- Common age-related eye diseases: diabetic retinopathy, cataract, early and late AMD, primary open-angle glaucoma
Methodological detailsbidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), multivariable MR, mediation analysis
- Bidirectional two-sample MR
- Multivariable MR
- Mediation analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Associations of genetic predisposition to AITD
- AITD and increased risk of diabetic retinopathy
- p = 3 × 10-4
- AITD and increased risk of cataract
- p = 3 × 10-3
- AITD and increased risk of T1D
- p = 1 × 10-3
- AITD and less likely T2D
- p = 0.01
Further findings
Genetic predisposition to T1D and T2D
- Both T1D and T2D increased risk of diabetic retinopathy and cataract
- P < 4 × 10-4
Genetically predicted higher FT4 within reference range and AMD
- Increased risk of late AMD
- P = 0.01
- Late AMD, particularly in women
- P = 7 × 10-3
- No association between FT4 and early AMD, nor between TSH and early and late AMD
- No other associations observed
Original publication
Thyroid Function, Diabetes, and Common Age-Related Eye Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid. Published 27 September 2024. doi:10.
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