Genetically Predicted Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Risk of Osteoarthritis: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study with Mediation Analysis of Obesity and Sarcopenia
Junyu Zhu, Zunyu Li, Shijie Zhou, Jun Yan, Jiufang He · 2026
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Description
Junyu Zhu and co-authors use genetics to test whether worn spinal discs raise arthritis risk, and whether weight and muscle loss carry part of the effect, in work from twenty twenty-six. Disc degeneration and joint arthritis disable millions, but cause and effect between them was unproven. Genes offer a natural experiment.
Instruments from a Finnish gene bank linked inherited disc risk to hip and knee arthritis and to joint replacement. Related traits like slipped discs and sciatica pointed the same way. A two step analysis showed fat and metabolic traits carried a slice of the link, up to about a third for some pairs. Muscle loss traits carried a smaller slice. Prevention could target both paths, the authors suggest.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Junyu Zhu, Zunyu Li, Shijie Zhou, Jun Yan, Jiufang He |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 51 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |