Genetically predicted mood swings increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Evidence from a Mendelian randomization analysis

Mood swings is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the causal relationships between them remain unknown. We conducted this Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the causal associations between mood swings (n = 373,733) and 5 CVDs, including CAD, MI, HF, AF, and stroke using summary data of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). FinnGen datasets validated the results. Various MR approaches, sensitivity analyses, multivariable MR (MVMR), and two-step MR mediation analyses were applied. The MR analysis revealed significant causal effects of mood swings on CAD (OR = 1.45, 95 % CI 1.24–1.71; P = 5.52e-6), MI (OR = 1.60, 95 % CI 1.32–1.95; P = 1.77e-6), HF (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.18–1.71; P = 2.32e-4), and stroke (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI 1.19–1.83; P = 3.46e-4), excluding AF (P = 0.16). In the reverse MR analysis, no causal relationships were observed. The results were reproducible using FinnGen data. In the MVMR analysis, the causal effects of mood swings on CAD, MI, HF and stroke still remain significant after adjusting potential confounding factors including BMI, smoking and T2DM, but not for LDL and hypertension. Further mediation analysis indicated hypertension may mediate the causal pathways from mood swings to CAD (18.11 %, 95 % CI: 8.83 %–27.39 %), MI (16.40 %, 95 % CI: 7.93 %–24.87 %), HF (13.06 %, 95 % CI: 6.25 %–19.86 %), and stroke (18.04 %, 95 % CI: 8.73 %–27.34 %). Mood swings has a significant causal impact on the development of CAD, MI, HF, and stroke, partly mediated by hypertension. •Mood swings significantly contributes to CAD, MI, HF, and stroke.•Hypertension partly mediated the causal pathways from mood swings to CVDs.•These findings have been validated in both the UK biobank and Finngen datasets.•Various MR approaches were applied ensure the robustness of these results.