Genetically determined cheese intake and risk of arterial diseases, frailty, and oral disease: a Mendelian randomized study

Abstract Background Observational studies suggest a possible correlation between cheese intake and certain arterial diseases, frailty, and oral disease. However, the causal relationship between them is unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the possible causal effects of genetic prediction of cheese intake with certain arterial diseases, frailty, and oral disease. Methods This study explored possible causal effects of exposure and outcome based on data from genome-wide association studies in a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Results The findings showed that genetically predicted cheese intake was associated with coronary atherosclerosis (odds ratio (OR) = 0.986; 95% confifidence interval (CI): 0.976–0.996; P = 0.0048), peripheral atherosclerosis (OR = 0.558; 95% CI: 0.369–0.843; P = 0.0056), atherosclerosis (excluding cerebral, coronary, and peripheral arteries) (OR = 0.803; 95% CI: 0.741–0.871; P = 0.0427), frailty index (OR = 0.803; 95%CI: 0.746–0.865; P = 9.36E-08), chronic periodontitis (OR = 0.558; 95% CI: 0.349–0.890; P = 0.0145 ) and acute periodontitis(OR = 0.235; 95% CI: 0.062–0.893; P = 0.0335) were negatively associated. Also, no association was observed between cheese intake and cerebral atherosclerosis (OR = 0.909; 95% CI: 0.073–11.288; P = 0.9408) and dental caries (OR = 1.018; 95% CI: 0.676–1.533; P = 0.9337). Conclusion This MR study found a negative association between cheese intake and coronary atherosclerosis, peripheral atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis (excluding cerebral, coronary, and peripheral arteries), frailty, and periodontitis.