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The causal role of smoking in anxiety and depression: a Mendelian randomization analysis of the HUNT study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2012

J. H. Bjørngaard ,
D. Gunnell ,
M. B. Elvestad ,
G. Davey Smith ,
F. Skorpen ,
H. Krokan ,
L. Vatten  and
P. Romundstad
J. H. Bjørngaard*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway Forensic Department and Research Centre Bröset, St Olav's University Hospital Trondheim, Norway
D. Gunnell
Affiliation:
School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK
M. B. Elvestad
Affiliation:
Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
G. Davey Smith
Affiliation:
School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, University of Bristol, UK
F. Skorpen
Affiliation:
Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
H. Krokan
Affiliation:
Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
L. Vatten
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
P. Romundstad
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
*
*Address for correspondence: J. H. Bjørngaard, M.A., Ph.D., Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Cigarette smoking is strongly associated with mental illness but the causal direction of the association is uncertain. We investigated the causal relationship between smoking and symptoms of anxiety and depression in the Norwegian HUNT study using the rs1051730 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant located in the nicotine acetylcholine receptor gene cluster on chromosome 15 as an instrumental variable for smoking phenotypes. Among smokers, this SNP is robustly associated with smoking quantity and nicotine dependence.

Method

In total, 53 601 participants were genotyped for the rs1051730 SNP and provided information on smoking habits and symptoms of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

Self-reported smoking was positively associated with the prevalence of both anxiety and depression, and the measured polymorphism was positively associated with being a current smoker and the number of cigarettes smoked in current smokers. In the sample as a whole, risk of anxiety increased with each affected T allele [odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.09, p = 0.002] but there was no association with depression (p = 0.31). However, we found no clear association of the polymorphism with either anxiety (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.97–1.09, p = 0.34) or depression (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.95–1.09, p = 0.62) among smokers.

Conclusions

As there was no association of the smoking-related rs1051730 SNP with anxiety and depression among smokers, the results suggest that smoking is not a cause of anxiety and depression.

Keywords

Genetic epidemiologyinstrumental variablemental healthnicotine
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , April 2013 , pp. 711 - 719
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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