The causal relationship between diet habits and cholelithiasis: a comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) study

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Dietary habits are linked to cholelithiasis risk, but the exact relationship remains unclear.
• Previous epidemiological studies suggest a connection between diet and gallstone formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationship between various dietary habits and cholelithiasis using a Mendelian randomization approach.
• To identify specific dietary components that influence the risk of developing gallstones.

Main Methods:

• Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) with inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM), and MR-Egger methods.
• Utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis data for cholelithiasis and the FinnGen consortium.
• Conducted sensitivity analyses and meta-analysis to ensure the robustness of findings.

Main Results:

• Increased intake of dried fruit was significantly associated with a reduced risk of cholelithiasis (OR=0.568, 95% CI: 0.405-0.797, p=0.001).
• Sensitivity and meta-analysis confirmed the reliable protective association of dried fruit consumption against gallstones.

Conclusions:

• Dried fruit intake acts as a protective factor against the development of cholelithiasis.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms linking dried fruit consumption to reduced gallstone risk.