APOC3, Coronary Disease, and Complexities of Mendelian Randomization

Two new studies report that triglyceride (TG)-lowering mutations in APOC3 reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) (Crosby et al., 2014; Jorgensen et al., 2014). Here, we explore limitations of using Mendelian randomization to evaluate CHD risk, including potential confounding by the widespread use of statin therapy.