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There Is No Direct Causal Relationship Between Coronary Artery Disease and Alzheimer Disease: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
Zhong A, Tan Y, Liu Y, Chai X, Peng W.. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2024-07-31
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background The association between poor cardiovascular health and cognitive decline as well as dementia progression has been inconsistent across studies. This study used Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal relationship between Alzheimer disease (AD), circulating levels of total-tau, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results This study used MR to investigate the causal relationship between AD or circulating levels of total-tau and CAD, including ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, coronary atherosclerosis, and heart failure.
Key findings
- This study used Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal relationship between Alzheimer disease (AD), circulating levels of total-tau, and coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Methods and results This study used MR to investigate the causal relationship between AD or circulating levels of total-tau and CAD, including ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, coronary atherosclerosis, and heart failure.
- The primary analysis used the inverse-variance weighted method, with pleiotropy and heterogeneity assessed using MR-Egger regression and the Q statistic.
- The overall results of the MR analysis indicated that AD did not exhibit a causal effect on heart failure (odds ratio [OR], 0.969 [95% CI, 0.921-1.018]; P =0.209), myocardial infarction (OR, 0.972 [95% CI, 0.915-1.033]; P =0.359), ischemic heart disease (OR, 1.013 [95% CI, 0.949-1.082]; P =0.700), coronary heart disease (OR, 1.005 [95% CI, 0.937-1.078]; P =0.881), or coronary atherosclerosis (OR, 0.987 [95% CI, 0.926-1.052]; P =0.690).
Why it matters
This Mendelian randomization study found no direct causal relationship between coronary artery disease and Alzheimer's disease. It is about whether one condition causes the other, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Heart Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of the American Heart Association: journal h-index 200 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 4 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Weijun Peng: h-index 37 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39082403) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.032814
- PubMed: 39082403
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of the American Heart Association →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zhong, A., Tan, Y., Liu, Y., Chai, X., & Peng, W. (2024). There Is No Direct Causal Relationship Between Coronary Artery Disease and Alzheimer Disease: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.123.032814
Vancouver
Zhong A, Tan Y, Liu Y, Chai X, Peng W. There Is No Direct Causal Relationship Between Coronary Artery Disease and Alzheimer Disease: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2024. doi:10.1161/jaha.123.032814. PMID: 39082403.
BibTeX
@article{zhong2024-39082403,
author = {Zhong, A. and Tan, Y. and Liu, Y. and Chai, X. and Peng, W.},
title = {{There Is No Direct Causal Relationship Between Coronary Artery Disease and Alzheimer Disease: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study}},
journal = {Journal of the American Heart Association},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1161/jaha.123.032814},
pmid = {39082403},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.123.032814}
}
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