Mendelian randomization: A powerful method to determine causality of biomarkers in diseases

Assessing the influence of a marker or exposure on a given outcome is a challenging task, since a multitude of factors can influence levels of given marker, and therefore confound correlation-causation inferences. Notable exceptions are genetic markers, since those are innate and not bound to change through an individual's lifetime. Furthermore, inheritance of each trait is independent of every other according to Mendel's law of inheritance [1]. That's the principle behind Mendelian randomization (MR), a method proposed in the 80's by Katan [2] to understand if alterations in plasma cholesterol levels in cancer patients were the cause or consequence of the disease (later shown through MR that there is no causal relation of cholesterol in cancer development) [3].
Source: International Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research