Fibromyalgia & musculoskeletal pain
Disentangling the relationship between depression and chronic widespread pain: A Mendelian randomisation study
Authors' conclusion
This study provides evidence in support of a bidirectional causal relationship between depression and increased risk of chronic widespread pain, whilst overcoming the major limitations of previous epidemiological studies.
Study context
- Population
- Large population-level genetic data: depression (170,756 cases, 329,443 controls) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) (6,914 cases, 242,929 controls)
- Comparison
- Genetically predicted depression and risk of CWP, and CWP on depression susceptibility
- Outcome
- Bidirectional causal relationship between depression and CWP
Methodological detailsbidirectional, CAUSE method (allows for sample overlap), traditional Mendelian randomisation (MR) and sensitivity analyses
- Bidirectional
- CAUSE method (allows for sample overlap)
- Traditional MR and sensitivity analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Risk of CWP per doubling in odds of genetic liability to depression: OR (95% CrI 1.003-1.005); p = 7.3 × 10-5 that the causal model is a better fit than non-causal model
1.004
Depression susceptibility from genetic liability to CWP: OR (95% CrI 1.57, 3.40); p = 0.0026 that the causal model is a better fit
2.31
Further findings
- Other MR methods produced concordant results
Original publication
Disentangling the relationship between depression and chronic widespread pain: A Mendelian randomisation study. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 11 March 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →