Mendelian randomization study on the causal link between neutrophil extracellular traps and cardiovascular diseases

Background This study investigates the causal relationship between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods We performed a two-sample MR analysis utilizing GWAS summary statistics from the GWAS Catalog and IEU databases for six cardiovascular outcomes and various NET-related exposures. The main analysis employed the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method, with supplementary analyses using MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode methods. Results Genetic predisposition to higher neutrophil counts was found to increase the risk of coronary artery disease (OR = 1.0829, 95% CI: 1.0317–1.1366, P = 0.001). No causal link between NET measurements and CVDs was detected (OR = 1.0014, 95% CI: 0.9942–1.0087, P = 0.698), nor for other NET-related exposures (All P > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion Our results indicate that elevated neutrophil counts may heighten coronary artery disease risk. Further studies should investigate the mechanisms underlying this association and explore therapeutic interventions targeting neutrophils in CVD prevention and treatment.