Exploring causal associations between dietary intake and liver diseases: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization...

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Genetic Epidemiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Dietary intake is suspected to influence liver diseases, but causal links remain uncertain.
• Understanding diet-disease relationships is crucial for public health and clinical interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between dietary intake and various liver diseases using a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
• To assess the impact of specific food groups on the risk of developing liver conditions.

Main Methods:

• A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted using genome-wide association studies summary data.
• Primary analysis employed the inverse-variance weighted method, supplemented by MR-Egger and weighted median methods.
• Sensitivity analyses included Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept, MR-PRESSO, RadialMR, and leave-one-out analyses to ensure robustness.

Main Results:

• Genetically predicted higher poultry intake was associated with a reduced risk of cirrhosis (OR=0.04, P=0.007).
• Genetically predicted higher salad/raw vegetable intake was also linked to a lower risk of cirrhosis (OR=0.18, P=0.028).
• No significant causal associations were found between dietary intake and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, or hepatocellular carcinoma.

Conclusions:

• Dietary habits, specifically increased consumption of poultry and salad/raw vegetables, appear to causally reduce the risk of cirrhosis.
• These findings highlight the potential of dietary modifications in cirrhosis prevention and management.
• Further research into diet-specific impacts on liver health is warranted.