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‘Mendelian randomization’ equals instrumental variable analysis with genetic instruments
Author(s) -
Wehby George L.,
Ohsfeldt Robert L.,
Murray Jeffrey C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
statistics in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.996
H-Index - 183
eISSN - 1097-0258
pISSN - 0277-6715
DOI - 10.1002/sim.3255
Subject(s) - mendelian randomization , instrumental variable , randomization , econometrics , interpretation (philosophy) , statistics , variable (mathematics) , genetic epidemiology , computer science , mathematics , epidemiology , medicine , genetics , clinical trial , biology , genetic variants , gene , genotype , mathematical analysis , programming language
Interest in instrumental variable (IV) analyses using genetic instruments has been growing over the past 4 years. The background, strength and weaknesses of this approach, which in the epidemiology literature has been referred to as ‘Mendelian randomization’, has been recently reviewed by Lawlor et al. ( Statist. Med. 2007. DOI: 10.1002/sim.3034 ). We suggest a change in the nomenclature of ‘Mendelian randomization’ and discuss issues relevant to IV analysis including instrument validation, motivation of IV analysis and interpretation of IV estimates in order to motivate a more consistent and standard use of IV analysis across applications using genetic instruments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.