Exploring the causal link between low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol and cataract: Evidence from Mendelian randomization analysis

Observational studies and clinical trials have shown that low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) is associate with cataract. However, the causal association between LDL‑C and cataract remains elusive. In the present study, in an aim to shed light onto this association, exposure and outcome data were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS project. The analysis of the data was then conducted using two‑sample Mendelian randomization (MR). The inverse‑variance weighted (IVW) method .was mainly used for the analysis. The simple mode, simple median, weighted mode, the MR‑Egger regression and weighted median estimator served as complementary methods. The results of the IVW MR analysis revealed a casual effect of LDL‑C on cataract (IVW odds ratio, 1.01; P=0.036); similarly, the methods of simple mode and simple median also yielded similar results. The MR‑Egger regression and Cochran's Q test revealed no heterogeneity in the present study. On the whole, the present study revealed a causal association between LDL‑C and the risk of developing cataract, suggesting the re‑evaluation of lipid management to prevent cataracts and improve ocular health.