Causal relationship between coffee intake and neurological diseases: a Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Observational studies suggest links between coffee and neurological diseases.
• Causal relationships remain unclear.
• Investigating coffee's role in neurological health is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the causal effect of coffee intake on various neurological diseases.
• To assess the association between coffee consumption and conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, and migraine.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) with 40 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables.
• Employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method for primary analysis.
• Conducted sensitivity analyses using MR-Egger and MR-PRESSO for robustness.

Main Results:

• Found significant evidence for a causal association between coffee intake and a reduced risk of migraine (OR=0.528, P=0.004).
• Specifically, coffee intake was linked to a lower risk of migraine with aura (OR=0.374, P=0.001).
• No significant causal associations were observed for other neurological diseases studied.

Conclusions:

• Coffee consumption appears to have a protective causal effect against migraine.
• Findings suggest coffee may act as a trigger or preventative strategy for migraine.
• Highlights the utility of MR in understanding coffee's neurological health impacts.