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There is a causal association between genetically predicted rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and increased risk for bronchiectasis, according to a study published in Frontiers in Medicine. Researchers obtained RA genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and bronchiectasis GWAS data to examine whether genetically predicted RA was associated with the risk for bronchiectasis and vice versa. The investigators found that in the univariate Mendelian randomization analysis, the inverse variance weighted estimation results indicated increased risk for bronchiectasis in RA (OR, 1.18). In the reverse analysis, the investigators found no evidence of a causal effect of bronchiectasis on RA risk. RA remained associated with increased risk for bronchiectasis in the replication analysis. In multivariate analyses, estimates remained consistent after the researchers adjusted for prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids. In addition, immunosuppressants mediated 58% of the effect of RA on bronchiectasis.