Causal associations between mobile phone usage and glaucoma risk: A Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Previous research has indicated a possible link between mobile phone usage and the incidence of glaucoma. This study employs a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the causal relationship between mobile phone use and glaucoma risk. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from publicly accessible genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets as instrumental variables (IVs). The primary analytical method was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach, with MR-Egger and weighted median analyses serving as complementary methods. Sensitivity was evaluated using Cochran’s Q test and MR-Egger regression. The results demonstrate a causal effect of mobile phone usage on an increased risk of glaucoma (ORIVW = 1.358, 95% CI: 1.052–1.752, P = .019; ORMR-Egger = 1.882, 95% CI: 0.53–6.682, P = .337; ORWeighted median = 1.387, 95% CI: 1.012–1.900, P = .042; ORMR-PRESSO = 1.358, 95% CI: 1.052–1.752, P = .026). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness and reliability of these findings. The study identifies mobile phone usage as a potentially modifiable risk factor for glaucoma, providing new avenues for exploring the specific mechanisms underlying these ocular disorders.