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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
07:35
Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer Risk and Prevalence by Stool DNA Integrity Detection
Published on: June 8, 2020
Associations of Dietary Intake Traits and Aging Indicators With Colorectal Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Yuanlong Chi1, Bao Lin1, Shijie Sun1
1Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Sanming First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Sanming, China.
Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer
|June 17, 2026
Summary
This study suggests high-glycemic foods like sugar added to tea and doughnuts may increase colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Epigenetic aging, specifically GrimAge acceleration, is linked to CRC and may mediate this association.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Epidemiology
- Nutritional Science
- Aging Research
Background:
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is rising, particularly in younger adults.
- High-glycemic food intake and biological aging are suspected CRC risk factors, but mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic associations between high-glycemic food intake, aging indicators, and CRC risk using Mendelian randomization.
- To explore the potential mediating role of aging indicators in the relationship between diet and CRC.
Main Methods:
- A two-sample Mendelian randomization study was performed using large-scale genome-wide association study data.
- Twenty-five high-glycemic food intake traits and five aging indicators (including GrimAge acceleration) were analyzed for association with CRC risk.
- Two-step Mendelian randomization was employed to assess mediation effects.
Main Results:
- Suggestive positive associations were found between intake of sugar added to tea and doughnuts and CRC risk.
- Yogurt intake showed a suggestive inverse association with CRC risk.
- GrimAge acceleration demonstrated a significant positive genetic association with CRC risk (OR=1.102, p=0.001).
- Mediation analysis indicated GrimAge acceleration might partially mediate the association between sugar-sweetened tea intake and CRC risk (36.1% mediated), though not reaching strict significance.
Conclusions:
- Genetic evidence suggests potential links between specific high-glycemic foods, epigenetic aging (GrimAge acceleration), and colorectal cancer risk.
- GrimAge acceleration may play a partial mediating role in the diet-CRC pathway, warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.
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