Human Nutrition & Metabolism · Published 2025-10-31 · DOI 10.1016/j.hnm.2025.200353
Background: Thrombotic external hemorrhoids (TEH) may be influenced by micronutrient levels. This study investigates the causal relationship between TEH and 15 micronutrients, including folate, calcium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, and B12. Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with micronutrient levels (p < 5 × 10−6) from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in European populations (n = 64,979 for folate). TEH outcome data were sourced from the FinnGen Biobank (n = 9749). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used, with SNPs selected to ensure strong instrumental variables (F > 10). Sensitivity and pleiotropy analyses were performed. Results: IVW analysis revealed a causal association between folate and TEH (p-value = 0.004, OR = 1.555 [95 % CI 1.156–2.092] per standard deviation increase in folate levels). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of this finding. Conclusion: Folate is a risk factor for TEH, potentially via inflammatory pathways, providing evidence to guide clinical research and TEH management strategies.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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