TY - JOUR
T1 - Biomarkers of kidney function and cognitive ability
T2 - A Mendelian randomization study
AU - Richard, Erin L.
AU - McEvoy, Linda K.
AU - Cao, Steven Y.
AU - Oren, Eyal
AU - Alcaraz, John E.
AU - LaCroix, Andrea Z.
AU - Salem, Rany M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/11/15
Y1 - 2021/11/15
N2 - Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria and serum uric acid (SUA) are markers of kidney function that have been associated with cognitive ability. However, whether these associations are causal is unclear. Methods: We performed one-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to estimate the effects of kidney function markers on cognitive performance using data from the UK Biobank. Polygenic scores for SUA, urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine (eGFRcre) and serum cystatin C (eGFRcys) were used as instrumental variables, and cognitive function outcomes included tests of verbal-numeric reasoning, reaction time, visual memory, and numeric memory. Results: We found no evidence of a causal effect of genetically determined SUA, eGFRcre or eGFRcys on cognitive function outcomes. There was no association between a polygenic score for ACR and verbal-numeric reasoning or numeric memory. However, there was suggestive evidence of a relationship between genetically increased ACR and slower reaction time and worse visual memory. ACR was no longer significantly associated with visual memory in analyses using an unweighted polygenic score and in analyses stratified by sex and age category. Pleiotropy adjusted estimates were directionally consistent with those of the principal analysis but overlapped with the null. Conclusions: This MR study does not support causal effects of SUA, eGFRcre or eGFRcys on cognitive performance. Genetically increased ACR was associated with slower processing speed and visual memory, but results need confirmation in independent samples.
AB - Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria and serum uric acid (SUA) are markers of kidney function that have been associated with cognitive ability. However, whether these associations are causal is unclear. Methods: We performed one-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to estimate the effects of kidney function markers on cognitive performance using data from the UK Biobank. Polygenic scores for SUA, urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine (eGFRcre) and serum cystatin C (eGFRcys) were used as instrumental variables, and cognitive function outcomes included tests of verbal-numeric reasoning, reaction time, visual memory, and numeric memory. Results: We found no evidence of a causal effect of genetically determined SUA, eGFRcre or eGFRcys on cognitive function outcomes. There was no association between a polygenic score for ACR and verbal-numeric reasoning or numeric memory. However, there was suggestive evidence of a relationship between genetically increased ACR and slower reaction time and worse visual memory. ACR was no longer significantly associated with visual memory in analyses using an unweighted polygenic score and in analyses stratified by sex and age category. Pleiotropy adjusted estimates were directionally consistent with those of the principal analysis but overlapped with the null. Conclusions: This MR study does not support causal effects of SUA, eGFRcre or eGFRcys on cognitive performance. Genetically increased ACR was associated with slower processing speed and visual memory, but results need confirmation in independent samples.
KW - Albuminuria
KW - Cognition
KW - Glomerular filtration rate
KW - Mendelian randomization
KW - Uric acid
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jns.2021.118071
DO - 10.1016/j.jns.2021.118071
M3 - Article
C2 - 34534883
AN - SCOPUS:85114949941
SN - 0022-510X
VL - 430
JO - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
JF - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
M1 - 118071
ER -