Tea Skaaby
Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Denmark
Title: Investigating the causal effect of smoking on hay fever and asthma: a Mendelian randomization meta-analysis in the carta consortium
Biography
Biography: Tea Skaaby
Abstract
Statement of the Problem Observational studies on smoking and risk of hay fever and asthma have shown inconsistent results. However, observational studies may be biased by confounding and reverse causation. Mendelian randomization uses genetic variants as markers of exposures to examine causal effects.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: We examined the causal effect of smoking on hay fever and asthma by using the smoking-associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs16969968/rs1051730. We included 231,020 participants from 22 population-based studies.
Findings: Observational analyses showed that current vs never smokers had lower risk of hay fever (odds ratio (OR)=0•68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0•61, 0•76; p<0•001) and allergic sensitization (OR =0•74, 95% CI: 0•64, 0•86; P<0•001), but similar asthma risk (OR=1•00, 95% CI: 0•91, 1•09; P=0•967). Mendelian randomization analyses in current smokers showed a slightly lower risk of hay fever (OR=0•958, 95% CI: 0•920, 0•998; P=0•041), a lower risk of allergic sensitization (OR=0•92, 95% CI: 0•84, 1•02; P=0•117), but higher risk of asthma (OR=1•06, 95% CI: 1•01, 1•11; p=0•020) per smoking-increasing allele.
Conclusion & Significance: Our results suggest that smoking may be causally related to a higher risk of asthma and a slightly lower risk of hay fever. However, the adverse events associated with smoking limit its clinical significance.
Recent Publications
1. Skaaby T, Jørgensen T, Linneberg A. Effects of invitation to participate in health surveys on the incidence of cardiovascular disease: a randomized general population study. Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Apr 1;46(2):603-611.
2. Skaaby T, Taylor AE, Thuesen BH, Jacobsen RK, Friedrich N, Møllehave LT, Hansen S, Larsen SC, Völker U, Nauck M, Völzke H, Hansen T, Pedersen O, Jørgensen T, Paternoster L, Munafò M, Grarup N, Linneberg A. Estimating the causal effect of body mass index on hay fever, asthma, and lung function using Mendelian randomization. Allergy. 2017 Jul 4 [Epub ahead of print].
3. Skaaby T, Taylor AE, Jacobsen RK, Paternoster L, Thuesen BH, Ahluwalia TS, Larsen SC, Zhou A, Wong A, Gabrielsen ME, Bjørngaard JH, Flexeder C, Männistö S, Hardy R, Kuh D, Barry SJ, Tang Møllehave L, Cerqueira C, Friedrich N, Bonten TN, Noordam R, Mook-Kanamori DO, Taube C, Jessen LE, McConnachie A, Sattar N, Upton MN, McSharry C, Bønnelykke K, Bisgaard H, Schulz H, Strauch K, Meitinger T, Peters A, Grallert H, Nohr EA, Kivimaki M, Kumari M, Völker U, Nauck M, Völzke H, Power C, Hyppönen E, Hansen T, Jørgensen T, Pedersen O, Salomaa V, Grarup N, Langhammer A, Romundstad PR, Skorpen F, Kaprio J, R Munafò M, Linneberg A. Investigating the causal effect of smoking on hay fever and asthma: a Mendelian randomization meta-analysis in the CARTA consortium. Sci Rep. 2017 May 22;7(1):2224.
4. Skaaby T, Husemoen LL, Thuesen BH, Pisinger C, Hannemann A, Jørgensen T, Linneberg A. Longitudinal associations between lifestyle and vitamin D: A general population study with repeated vitamin D measurements. Endocrine. 2016 Feb;51(2):342-50.
5. Skaaby T, Husemoen LL, Thuesen BH, Jeppesen J, Linneberg A. The association of atopy with incidence of ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Endocrine. 2015 Mar;48(2):541-50.