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Fig. 1 | BMC Cardiovascular Disorders

Fig. 1

From: Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on ischemic heart disease and cardiometabolic risk factors: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Fig. 1

Assumptions of a Mendelian randomization analysis and data sources. Mendelian randomization analysis rests on 3 assumptions. First, the genetic instruments used as instrumental variables are strongly predictive of exposure (this study specifically refers to n-3 PUFAs, Assumption 1). Second, the association of genetic instruments with outcome (for example, IHD in this study) is not confounded by measured or unmeasured factors (Assumption 2). Third, the effect of the genetic instrument on outcome (IHD) should be fully mediated via exposure (n-3 PUFAs) and not through any direct or alternative causal pathways (Assumption 3). ALA α-linolenic acid, DHA docosahexaenoic acid, DIAGRAM DIAbetes Genetics Replication and Meta-analysis, DPA docosapentaenoic acid, EPA eicosapentaenoic acid, GIANT Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits, GLGC Global Lipids Genetics Consortium, GWAS genome-wide association studies, ICBP International Consortium for Blood Pressure, IHD ischemic heart disease, PUFAs polyunsaturated fatty acids, SNP single nucleotide polymorphism

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