Cited by 290Genetic Associations and EpidemiologyAdvanced Causal Inference TechniquesStatistical Methods in Epidemiology

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Mendel’s laws, Mendelian randomization and causal inference in observational data: substantive and nomenclatural issues

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Davey Smith, George, Holmes, Michael V., Davies, Neil M., Ebrahim, Shah·2020·European Journal of Epidemiology

DOI 10.1007/s10654-020-00622-7PMC PMC7125255

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Abstract

We respond to criticisms of Mendelian randomization (MR) by Mukamal, Stampfer and Rimm (MSR). MSR consider that MR is receiving too much attention and should be renamed. We explain how MR links to Mendel’s laws, the origin of the name and our lack of concern regarding nomenclature. We address MSR’s substantive points regarding MR of alcohol and cardiovascular disease, an issue on which they dispute the MR findings. We demonstrate that their strictures with respect to population stratification, confounding, weak instrument bias, pleiotropy and confounding have been addressed, and summarise how the field has advanced in relation to the issues they raise. We agree with MSR that “the hard problem of conducting high-quality, reproducible epidemiology” should be addressed by epidemiologists. However we see more evidence of confrontation of this issue within MR, as opposed to conventional observational epidemiology, within which the same methods that have demonstrably failed in the past are simply rolled out into new areas, leaving their previous failures unexamined.

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Authors: Davey Smith, G., Holmes, M. V., Davies, N. M., & Ebrahim, S.
Affiliations: University of Oxford (GB)
University of Bristol (GB)
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
ORCID: Davey Smith, George
Holmes, Michael V.
Davies, Neil M.
Ebrahim, Shah
Venue: European Journal of Epidemiology
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2020-02
Volume: 35
Issue: 2
Pages: 99-111
ISSN: 0393-2990 (ISSN-L)
1573-7284
DOI: 10.1007/s10654-020-00622-7
PMC: PMC7125255
OpenAlex: W3012912937
Cited by: 287
References: 118
Citations by year: 2026: 19 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 112 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 8
FWCI: 16.24
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 (tdm)
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 (vor, 51 d)
Locations: European Journal of Epidemiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Explore Bristol Research (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
Funders: Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00011/1)
British Heart Foundation (FS/18/23/33512)
Topics: Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Keywords: Mendelian randomization, Mendel's laws, causal inference, observational data, nomenclature, alcohol consumption, cardiovascular disease, population stratification, confounding, weak instrument bias, pleiotropy
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases, Humans, Genetic Variation, Molecular Epidemiology, Mendelian Randomization Analysis, Genetic Pleiotropy

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Mendel’s laws, Mendelian randomization and causal inference in observational data: substantive and nomenclatural issues

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