Causal Associations of Education Level With Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Biomarkers, and Socioeconomic Factors

Jan 10, 2024The American journal of cardiology

How Education Level May Be Linked to Heart Diseases, Heart Health Measures, and Social Factors

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Abstract

Higher genetically determined education level is associated with lower risks of various cardiovascular diseases, including type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

An odds ratio of 0.54 indicates a significant reduction in risk for type 2 diabetes associated with higher education.
Higher education is linked to a 38% lower risk of coronary heart disease (OR 0.62).
The risk of hypertension and myocardial infarction is also reduced by about 38% with increased education levels.
Individuals with more education tend to have lower blood pressure and improved cardiovascular biomarkers.
Higher education correlates with healthier lifestyle choices, such as reduced smoking and increased physical activity.

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An inverse association of education level with cardiovascular diseases has been documented in observational studies, yet the causality and potential mechanisms remain to be determined. To systematically investigate the causal associations of education level with cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular biomarkers, and socioeconomic factors, a 2-sample Mendelian randomization was performed. The results revealed that higher genetically determined education level was associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47 to 0.61, p = 3.04 × 10), peripheral artery disease (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.76, p = 2.14 × 10), hypertension (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.70, p = 4.22 × 10), coronary heart disease (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.69, p = 3.50 × 10), myocardial infarction (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.69, p = 2.58 × 10), ischemic stroke (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.74, p = 6.00 × 10), deep vein thrombosis (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.87, p = 0.0017), atrial fibrillation (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.86, p = 0.0007), cardiac death (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.86, p = 0.0003), heart failure (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.79, p = 6.37 × 10), transient ischemic attack (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.90, p = 0.0010), and venous thromboembolism (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.92, p = 0.0028). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein, body mass index, waist circumference, and triglycerides were decreased, whereas telomere length was increased. Subjects with higher education were less likely to smoke, intake salt, or be exposed to air pollution and depression state. They were more likely to take physical activity and possess more household income. In conclusion, higher education may causally decrease cardiovascular diseases through socioeconomic factors and cardiovascular biomarkers. Reducing education inequality is important in the management of cardiovascular diseases. -23 -6 -16 -19 -16 -19 -12

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Causal Associations of Education Level With Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Biomarkers, and Socioeconomic Factors

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