The association between reduced hypothalamic subregion volume and aortic aneurysm risk: a Mendelian randomization and multi-omics study with clinical MRI validation.

Overview

Authors: Xiangfeng Huang^1,2, Buyu Ke^1,2, Bo Yin^1,2

Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China

Institutions: Wenzhou Medical University (China); Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (China)

Journal: Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, volume 13, article 1859362

Dates: received 18 April 2026; accepted 28 July 2026; published online 6 August 2026

Type: Research article · Language: English

License: CC BY

Identifiers: DOI 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362 · PMID 42625651 · PMCID PMC13489904 · OpenAlex W7196948661

Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)

Status: data only

Categories: genetics / omics (modality), structural MRI / diffusion (modality), human (organism), clinical / translational (subfield)

Methods: Statistics, Smoothing, state filtering, decompositions

Keywords: aortic aneurysms, hypothalamus, inflammation, magnetic resonance imaging, multi-omics

Topic: Aortic aneurysm repair treatments (Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, Medicine), according to OpenAlex

Funding: Wenzhou Medical University; Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University

Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 48 references in the paper

Abstract

Background: Aortic aneurysms represent significant cardiovascular pathologies with an incompletely understood pathogenesis. The hypothalamus, a critical structure in regulating autonomic functions, endocrine activity, and circadian rhythms, may play a role in this context.

Methods: We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to test the causal effects of hypothalamic subregional volumes on aortic aneurysm risk. Utilizing T1-weighted MRI data from individuals with aortic aneurysms and healthy controls, we investigated group differences in the volumes of five hypothalamic subregions. Multiple analytical methods were combined to pinpoint the causative gene, followed by mediation analysis with cis-expression quantitative trait loci targets.

Results: MR analysis revealed that hypothalamic volume reduction was genetically linked to higher aortic aneurysm risk: anterior superior (OR = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.13-0.81, FDR = 0.026), inferior tubular (OR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.33-0.83, FDR = 0.026), and superior tubular (OR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.16-0.80, FDR = 0.026). Brain MRI showed reduced superior tubular volume in aortic aneurysm patients versus controls (173.22 ± 20.99 mm3 vs 185.87 ± 20.90 mm3; p < 0.05, 95%CI: 0.941-0.998). Multiple analytical approaches identified candidate genes potentially related to aortic aneurysm and suggested that IL1B may act as a potential statistical mediator in the association between hypothalamic volume and aortic aneurysm risk.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that genetically predisposed structural changes in the hypothalamus, especially reduced superior tubular volume, are associated with a higher risk of aneurysms, and imply that the hypothalamus may affect aortic aneurysm development through an inflammatory pathway.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

The paper links to its data, not to its authors' code: see the Data section.

Tracing map

A tracing map links a paper to the code its authors published: this paper has none, so it has no map.

Data

Datasets cited

geo:GSE47472, at NCBI GEO; found in the text, “Differential gene expression”

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

The history of this record: each version stored by the harvester or made by a correction of its authors or of the maintainers of its code, and what changed in its facts. The texts of the paper (its abstract, its availability statements) are not part of it; versions that changed only those are not listed.

Version 3, 28 September 2026

Funding: added Wenzhou Medical University; Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University

Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 3 authors, 5 keywords, 48 references.

Cite

This paper

Huang, X., Ke, B., & Yin, B. (2026). The association between reduced hypothalamic subregion volume and aortic aneurysm risk: a Mendelian randomization and multi-omics study with clinical MRI validation. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 13, 1859362. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362

BibTeX

@article{huang2026association, author = {Huang, Xiangfeng and Ke, Buyu and Yin, Bo}, title = {{The association between reduced hypothalamic subregion volume and aortic aneurysm risk: a Mendelian randomization and multi-omics study with clinical MRI validation}}, journal = {Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine}, year = {2026}, month = aug, volume = {13}, pages = {1859362}, publisher = {Frontiers Media SA}, issn = {2297-055X}, doi = {10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362}, pmid = {42625651}, pmcid = {PMC13489904} }

RIS

TY - JOUR AU - Huang, Xiangfeng AU - Ke, Buyu AU - Yin, Bo TI - The association between reduced hypothalamic subregion volume and aortic aneurysm risk: a Mendelian randomization and multi-omics study with clinical MRI validation T2 - Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine J2 - Front Cardiovasc Med PY - 2026 DA - 2026/08/06 VL - 13 SP - 1859362 SN - 2297-055X PB - Frontiers Media SA DO - 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362 UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362 LA - en ER -

CSL-JSON

{ "id": "10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362", "type": "article-journal", "title": "The association between reduced hypothalamic subregion volume and aortic aneurysm risk: a Mendelian randomization and multi-omics study with clinical MRI validation", "container-title": "Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine", "author": [ { "family": "Huang", "given": "Xiangfeng" }, { "family": "Ke", "given": "Buyu" }, { "family": "Yin", "given": "Bo" } ], "container-title-short": "Front Cardiovasc Med", "volume": "13", "page": "1859362", "DOI": "10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362", "PMID": "42625651", "PMCID": "PMC13489904", "ISSN": "2297-055X", "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA", "URL": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2026.1859362", "language": "en", "issued": { "date-parts": [ [ 2026, 8, 6 ] ] } }

Contribute

The authors of this paper can claim it, correct its record and validate its tracing map, and the maintainers of its code (its owner, or a public member of its organization) correct what it says of their repository; anyone signed in can ask for its removal. Every request goes to OSCR's own machine, which answers it; your account page follows them.

Sign in with ORCID to claim this paper as one of its authors, correct its record or validate its tracing map: when the paper's metadata lists your ORCID iD, you are recognized at once. Maintainers of its code: sign in with GitHub, then claim the repository on your account page.

Request its removal

To ask OSCR to remove this record, the copies of its authors' scripts or its tracing map, use the removal request page: signed in, you say who you are, what to remove and why, then review and confirm the request. Published rules decide every request (how).

Discussion, reproductions, activity

Discussion: questions and error reports about this paper and its code, from signed-in readers and its authors. It opens with sign-in.

Reproductions: reports from readers who ran the authors' code: what they reproduced, with which environment, commit and data. It opens with sign-in.

Activity: what happens around this paper: new versions of its record, its map's validation, discussions and reproductions. It opens with sign-in.