Mandelina Randomization and How to..

Mandelina Randomization

Mandelian randomization is a method to study the casual relationship between the risk factors and the disease using genetic varitions resposible for affecting the risk factors. One common and popular classic example is

Does higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD)?

Here, by using CRP gene as genetic variant, we want to study weather or not the CRP gene is associated with the risk of developing CAD. If CRP gene associates with both the blood CRP levels and the cornoary heart disease, then we say that, “Yes!”, it seems CRP is associated with the CAD. Or more scientifically, “higher CRP is a risk factor for CAD”. This can be illustrated using the following diagram: