Association Between Breakfast Cereals and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Evidence suggests that cereals are associated with cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. However, the results from existing studies are inconsistent and the causality remains to be determined. In this study, we used Mendelian randomization analysis to evaluate the potential causal relationship between breakfast cereals and cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Methods: We accessed summary data of breakfast cereals from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) involving 299,898 people. Additionally, we accessed summary data on cardiovascular diseases from FinnGen R7. Mendelian randomization analysis using inverse variance-weighting (IVW) served as the main analytical method. Besides, multiple sensitivity analysis methods were performed to ensure that the results were robust. Results: Among breakfast cereals, bran cereal, biscuit cereal, oat cereal, and other types of breakfast cereal were not linked to a risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, according to gene prediction results. However, genetic liability to muesli was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hypertension (odds ratio (OR) = 0.090; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.012-0.660; P = 0.018), myocardial infarction (OR = 0.154; 95% CI = 0.030-0.787; P = 0.025), type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.078; 95% CI = 0.017-0.350; P = 0.00086), and stroke (OR = 0.189; 95% CI = 0.048-0.733; P = 0.016). Further analysis showed no evidence of pleiotropy. Conclusions: Our research offers genetic support for a possible causal link between muesli and hypertension, myocardial infarction, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.