The Causal Relationship between PCSK9 Inhibitors and Osteoporosis Based on Drug-Targeted Mendelian Combined Mediation Analysis

Abstract

PCSK9 inhibitors have been shown to lower serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and are considered integral in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential association between PCSK9 inhibitors and osteoporosis is unclear now. In this study, drug-targeted mendelian randomization (MR) was utilized in conjunction with mediation analysis including bone mineral density (BMD), total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (T25(OH)D) levels and calcium supplementation to investigate the causal relationship between PCSK9 inhibitors and osteoporosis. The LDL-C level was chosen as the exposure variable in a sample size of 173,082 individuals. We conducted a MR analysis on the relationship between PCSK9 inhibitors and osteoporosis, elucidating the mediators involved. Utilizing the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, we found the risk of osteoporosis was reduced by 0.6% in those who used PCSK9 inhibitors compared with non-users (OR: 0.994, 95%CI: 0.991–0.998, P < 0.001). In people aged 30–45 years, the risk of low BMD was 1.176 times higher among PCSK9 inhibitor users compared to non-users (OR: 1.176, 95%CI: 1.017–1.336, P = 0.045). Conversely, people aged 45–60 years who used PCSK9 inhibitors had a 14.9% lower risk of low BMD compared to non-users (OR: 0.851, 95%CI: 0.732–0.968, P = 0.007). Mediation analysis revealed that 43.33% of the impact of PCSK9 inhibitors on osteoporosis was mediated through BMD levels, with the remaining 56.67% being a direct effect. Effects of PCSK9 inhibitors on BMD levels varied in different ages. In addition, the risk of high serum T25(OH)D levels were 1.091 times among PCSK9 inhibitor users compared to non-users (OR: 1.091, 95%CI: 1.065–1.112, P < 0.001), providing valuable insights for clinicians.