Zhou J, Liu C, Sun Y, et al. - This study was carried out to assess the causal effects of varying blood levels of five minerals — iron, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium, on osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted to evaluate the correlations of five circulating minerals with OA and RA. Researchers investigated the relationships of these single nucleotide polymorphisms with OA and RA in UK Biobank participants. They used multiple sensitivity analyses to detect and correct for the presence of pleiotropy. It was shown that genetically high zinc and copper status were positively correlated with OA, but not with RA. Given the modifiable nature of circulating mineral status, these findings need future evaluation for OA prevention strategies.