Refers to the expected attenuation towards the null of an association due to random measurement error in a risk factor. This is particularly likely to occur with risk factors that have naturally and widely fluctuating levels, such as blood pressure and (non-fasting) glucose.
Because genetic variants instrument for lifetime (or long-term) levels of a risk factor, regression dilution bias is less likely in MR studies compared with other methods, such as multivariable regression, commonly used with observational data.
References
- Lawlor DA, Harbord RM, Sterne JAC, Timpson NJ, Davey Smith G. Mendelian randomization: using genes as instruments for making causal inferences in epidemiology. Statistic in Medicine 2008;27:1133-1163.
- Davey Smith G, Ebrahim S. "Mendelian randomisation": can genetic epidemiology contribute to understanding environmental determinants of disease? International Journal of Epidemiology 2003;32:1-22.
Other terms in 'Sources of bias and limitations in MR':
- Assortative mating
- Canalization
- Collider
- Collider bias
- Confounding
- Dynastic effects
- Exclusion restriction assumption
- Harmonization failure (in two-sample MR)
- Homogeneity Assumption
- Horizontal Pleiotropy
- Independence assumption
- InSIDE assumption (in two-sample MR using aggregate data)
- Monotonicity assumption
- MR for testing critical or sensitive periods
- MR for testing developmental origins
- No effect modification assumption (Additional IV assumption)
- Non-linear effects
- Non-overlapping samples (in two-sample MR)
- Overfitting
- Pleiotropy
- Population stratification
- Relevance assumption
- Reverse causality
- Same underlying population (in two-sample MR)
- Statistical power/efficiency
- Vertical Pleiotropy
- Weak instrument bias
- Winner's curse