Dietary habits and stroke: A Mendelian randomization analysis

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease Research
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Stroke is a leading global cause of mortality and morbidity.
• Dietary factors are suspected to influence stroke risk, but causal links remain unclear.
• Understanding diet-stroke relationships is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between common dietary habits and stroke incidence.
• To specifically examine the effect of dried fruit consumption on stroke risk.
• To provide evidence for dietary recommendations in stroke prevention.

Main Methods:

• Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using 5 distinct methods.
• Utilized 3 sensitivity analysis methods to validate findings.
• Assessed 9 common dietary habits as exposures against stroke as the outcome.

Main Results:

• Inverse-variance weighted method indicated significant associations for three dietary habits.
• Increased dried fruit intake showed a protective effect against stroke (OR=0.51, P<0.001).
• Dietary alcohol (OR=0.57, P<0.01) and cheese intake (OR=0.73, P<0.01) were also associated with stroke risk.

Conclusions:

• Dried fruit consumption appears to reduce the risk of stroke.
• Dietary patterns involving alcohol and cheese may influence stroke risk.
• Findings support the integration of specific dietary modifications into stroke prevention and management strategies.