Dietary patterns, physical activity, and risk of urinary tract diseases: a two sample Mendelian randomization...

Previous studies have found associations between dietary habits, physical activity (PA) and a variety of renal/urinary disorders. However, only a few studies have used Mendelian randomisation analyses to explore the causal relationship between dietary habits, physical activity and a range of renal/urinary diseases.

The exposure and outcome datasets were sourced from the BioBank, FinnGen, and the NHGRI-EBI databases. The exposure dataset comprised of 20 dietary patterns and 4 PA modalities, while the outcome dataset included 19 renal/urological disorders. The primary methods employed for MR analyses were inverse variance weighted. Heterogeneity and multiplicity analyses were conducted to ensure the validity of the results.

In terms of dietary habits, studies have found that consumption of soya-based sweets reduces the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Consumption of fresh fruits prevented benign adrenal tumours and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgA-N). Consumption of paneer helps to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) nephropathy and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgA-N). In addition, consumption of nuts is a protective factor against type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Consumption of nuts, lean fish and fatty fish reduces the incidence of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN). Among various forms of physical activity, recreational hiking was inversely associated with IgA-N nephritis and T2D nephritis. Other physical activities, including swimming, cycling, fitness and bowling, also reduced the risk of developing IgA-N. In contrast, leisure screen time (LST) was considered a risk factor.

This study suggests that a sensible diet and increased leisure time walking may prevent chronic kidney diseases such as chronic renal insufficiency, chronic renal failure, type 2 kidney disease and IgA nephropathy. This study deepens the understanding of the association between diet, physical activity and renal/urinary abnormalities and provides practical recommendations for reducing the risk of developing these diseases.