Genetic correlations between suicide attempts and psychiatric and intermediate phenotypes adjusting for mental disorders

BACKGROUND

Suicide attempts are a moderately heritable trait, and genetic correlations with psychiatric and related intermediate phenotypes have been reported. However, as several mental disorders as well as major depressive disorder (MDD) are strongly associated with suicide attempts, these genetic correlations could be mediated by psychiatric disorders. Here, we investigated genetic correlations of suicide attempts with psychiatric and related intermediate phenotypes, with and without adjusting for mental disorders.

METHODS

To investigate the genetic correlations, we utilized large-scale genome-wide association study summary statistics for suicide attempts (with and without adjusting for mental disorders), nine psychiatric disorders, and 15 intermediate phenotypes.

RESULTS

Without adjusting for mental disorders, suicide attempts had significant positive genetic correlations with risks of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, MDD, anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder; higher risk tolerance; earlier age at first sexual intercourse, at first birth and at menopause; higher parity; lower childhood IQ, educational attainment and cognitive ability; and lower smoking cessation. After adjusting for mental disorders, suicide attempts had significant positive genetic correlations with the risk of MDD; earlier age at first sexual intercourse, at first birth and at menopause; and lower educational attainment. After adjusting for mental disorders, most of the genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders were decreased, while several genetic correlations with intermediate phenotypes were increased.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of considering mental disorders in the analysis of genetic correlations related to suicide attempts and suggest that susceptibility to MDD, reproductive behaviors, and lower educational levels share a genetic basis with suicide attempts after adjusting for mental disorders.

Menstrual and Reproductive Factors in Association With Breast Cancer Risk in Vietnamese Women: A Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVES

Though menstrual and reproductive factors have been associated with the risk of breast cancer in many populations, very few studies have been conducted among Vietnamese women. This study aimed to assess the association between menstrual and reproductive factors and the risk of breast cancer in Vietnamese women.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control study of 490 breast cancer cases and 468 controls was conducted in Northern Vietnam. Unconditional logistic regression models adjusting for confounders were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of menstrual and reproductive factors with the risk of breast cancer; overall and by cancer subtype.

RESULTS

Among breast cancer patients, the luminal B subtype was the most frequent (48.6%), followed by HER2-overexpressing (24.5%), luminal A (16.7%), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; 10.2%). Among menopausal women, menopausal age at 50 years or older (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.15-2.57 vs. <50 y) was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Earlier age at menarche (<13 y) was associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.08-7.51) among premenopausal women only and the luminal A subtype of breast cancer (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.04-8.16). Having more than two children was associated with a reduced risk of premenopausal (OR = .42, 95%CI: .21-.83), luminal B (OR = .43, 95% CI: .24-.79), and TNBC (OR = .34, 95% CI: .14-.89). Later menopause was positively associated with the risk of breast cancer with HER2 overexpression (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.14-4.23).

CONCLUSION

Associations of menstrual and reproductive factors with breast cancer among Vietnamese women, particularly for among premenopausal women and for the luminal A subtype, are generally consistent with those reported from other countries. These findings suggest that changes in menstrual and reproductive patterns among young Vietnamese women may contribute to the recent rising incidence of breast cancer in Vietnam.