Causal relationship between the use of lipid-lowering drugs and the risk of cholelithiasis: A two-sample Mendelian randomized study

Objective The primary aim of this investigation was to explore the potential causal association between the utilization of lipid-lowering drugs and the incidence of cholelithiasis.Methods A two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study was executed, deploying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with lipid-lowering drug usage as instrumental variables. The principal analytical approach employed was the inverse variance weighting method, complemented by the MR-Egger regression model, weighted median analysis method, simple mode method, and weighted mode method as supplementary analysis methodologies. Two-sample MR was utilized to assess the causal impact of lipid-lowering drug usage on the risk of cholelithiasis. Heterogeneity testing, pleiotropic testing, and sensitivity analysis were employed to assess the robustness and stability of the outcomes.Results The findings revealed a statistically significant causal link between the administration of lipid-lowering drugs and the diminished risk of cholelithiasis (OR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.04-0.75, P = 0.019). Heterogeneity was observed in this investigation (I2 = 95%, P < 0.05), yet no evidence of pleiotropic bias was discerned in the analysis results (intercept term was -0.003, P = 0.866). Sensitivity analysis corroborated the robustness of the MR analysis outcomes.Conclusion In conclusion, the utilization of lipid-lowering drugs appears to be associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of cholelithiasis.