Lack of causal association between cheese intake and risk of peripheral vascular diseases: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Background

Previous observational studies have yielded inconclusive findings regarding the potential association between cheese intake and peripheral vascular diseases (PVDs). We sought to systematically investigate the causal link between cheese intake and PVDs.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) investigation was undertaken to evaluate the causal link between cheese intake and PVDs. This MR analysis relied on summary statistics derived from published genome-wide associations studies (GWAS). GWAS summary statistics for cheese intake (N = 451,486), peripheral artery disease (PAD) (N = 361,194), PVD (N = 463,010), pulmonary embolism (PE) (N = 463,010), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (N = 6795) were derived from the UK Biobank. GWAS summary statistics for peripheral angiopathy (N = 162,394), aortic dissection (N = 218,792), aortic aneurysm (AA) (N = 218,792), other PVDs (N = 218,792), and arterial embolism and thrombosis of lower extremity artery (N = 218,792) were extracted from the FinnGen. Primary analysis was performed using an inverse variance weighted method. Sensitivity analyses included weighted median, MR Egger, and weighted mode analyses. Results are shown as odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Genetically predicted cheese intake was not associated with PAD (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.00, p = 0.953), PVD (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99–1.00, p = 0.265), peripheral angiopathy (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.09–3.66, p = 0.566), aortic dissection(OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.19–2.55, p = 0.583), AA(OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.46–1.82, p = 0.809), other PVDs (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.44–2.21, p = 0.979), PE (OR = 1.00, 95% CI:1.00–1.00, p = 0.635), DVT (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.62–1.12, p = 0.229), and arterial embolism and thrombosis of lower extremity artery (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.21–2.29, p = 0.5413).

Conclusion

Based on the results of our two-sample MR analysis, we found no significant association between cheese intake and the risk of PVDs. We firmly believed that these findings had the potential to enhance the efficacy of prevention strategies for PVDs, at both the national and clinical level, by improving our understanding of the risk factors involved in their development. Low-sugar, low-salt and low-fat cheese may be a good choice for people at high risk of PVDs.