Causal relationship between diet and common female diseases: a comprehensive Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Nutritional Science
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Common diseases with high female prevalence pose significant public health challenges.
• Understanding the causal links between diet and these diseases is crucial for prevention.
• Existing research often lacks robust causal inference methods for dietary factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationships between specific dietary habits and nine common diseases prevalent in women.
• To utilize a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach for robust causal inference.
• To identify potential dietary modifications for non-pharmacological public health interventions.

Main Methods:

• Employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
• Utilized pooled Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data from European cohorts.
• Analyzed genetic associations between 21 dietary factors and nine prevalent female diseases.

Main Results:

• Initial analyses revealed numerous associations between diet and gynecological conditions.
• Significant findings after FDR correction: dried fruit inversely associated with breast cancer risk; coffee intake positively associated with uterine fibroid risk.
• Other notable associations (pre-FDR correction) included dried fruit, coffee, alcohol, and various meats with risks for breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, and benign conditions.

Conclusions:

• The MR analysis provides insights into potential causal dietary links with common female diseases.
• Dietary modifications, such as increased dried fruit intake and reduced coffee consumption, may serve as preventative strategies.
• Findings support the development of non-pharmacological public health interventions for women's health.