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Study on Neurological Disorders and Breast Cancer Risk
Background: Previous research suggests a possible link between neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis and the risk of breast cancer. However, the exact relationship is not clear. This study aimed to investigate if these neurological conditions affect the overall risk of breast cancer and its subtypes (ER+ and ER-).
Methods:
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for nine neurological diseases were collected from reputable sources.
- Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with these neurological conditions were identified as instrumental variables (IVs).
- GWAS data on breast cancer were obtained from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC).
- Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and multivariable MR analyses were conducted to determine the impact of these SNPs on breast cancer risk.
- The accuracy of the results was assessed using the false discovery rate (FDR) multiple correction method, and potential sources of bias were evaluated.
Results:
Alzheimer’s disease was found to potentially decrease the risk of overall and ER+ breast cancer, while multiple sclerosis was associated with an increased risk of ER+ breast cancer. However, the effect of Alzheimer’s disease on overall breast cancer was not statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. No significant associations were observed between the other neurological diseases and breast cancer.
Conclusions:
The study suggests a potential trend of decreased risk of ER+ breast cancer in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and an increased risk in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, due to the limitations of the study design, the causal relationships between neurological diseases and breast cancer risk cannot be definitively established. Future prospective randomized controlled trials are needed for more conclusive evidence.
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