Causal associations between mobile phone usage and glaucoma risk: A Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Overview

This study investigates the causal link between mobile phone usage and the risk of developing glaucoma through a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methodology

Using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets as instrumental variables, the inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach was primarily employed. Additional methods included MR-Egger and weighted median analyses.

Key Findings

• The odds ratio (OR) from IVW analysis showed a significant increase in glaucoma risk with mobile phone use (OR IVW = 1.358, 95% CI: 1.052-1.752, P = .019).
• Complementary findings from MR-Egger and weighted median analyses confirmed the increased risk, albeit with wider confidence intervals and less significance in some measures.
• Sensitivity analyses via Cochran's Q test and MR-Egger regression underscored the robustness of the results.

Conclusion

This research highlights mobile phone usage as a modifiable risk factor for glaucoma and suggests potential pathways for further investigation into the mechanisms driving this association.