Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Peer-reviewed

Using Mendelian Randomization to Improve the Design of Randomized Trials

Brian A. Ference, Michael V. Holmes, George Davey Smith

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine · 2021

Read source ↗ All evidence

Summary

Randomized controlled trials and Mendelian randomization studies are two study designs that provide randomized evidence in human biological and medical research. Both exploit the power of randomization to provide unconfounded estimates of causal effect. However, randomized trials and Mendelian randomization studies have very different study designs and scientific objectives. As a result, despite sometimes being referred to as "nature's randomized trial," a Mendelian randomization study cannot be used to replace a randomized trial but instead provides complementary information. In this review, we explain the similarities and differences between randomized trials and Mendelian randomization studies, and suggest several ways that Mendelian randomization can be used to directly inform and impr

Source type
Peer-reviewed study
DOI
10.1101/cshperspect.a040980
Catalogue ID
SNmohdwj4i-vxckfd
Pulse AI · ask about this record

Dig deeper with Pulse AI.

Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.