Genetically predicted processed meat, red meat intake, and risk of mental disorders: A multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis

Mingkun Liu; Wenwen Wang; Yi Chen; Meixiang Guo; Yuanhao Wei; Shaoling Yang; Xiqiao Xiang

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.084

Genetically predicted processed meat, red meat intake, and risk of mental disorders: A multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis

J Affect Disord. 2024 Jun 1:354:603-610. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.084. Epub 2024 Mar 18.

Authors

Mingkun Liu¹, Wenwen Wang², Yi Chen³, Meixiang Guo³, Yuanhao Wei⁴, Shaoling Yang⁵, Xiqiao Xiang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of radiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, Shanghai 201499, China.
² Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, No.8. Caobao Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200235, China.
³ Department of PET-CT Imaging Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, No. 6600 Nanfeng Highway, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201499, China.
⁴ School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150076, China.
⁵ Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, No.8. Caobao Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200235, China. Electronic address: drysl@163.com.
⁶ Department of PET-CT Imaging Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, No. 6600 Nanfeng Highway, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201499, China. Electronic address: xxiqiao@126.com.

PMID: 38503356
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.084

Abstract

Background: Previous observational studies have highlighted potential links between the consumption of processed meat and red meat (such as pork, mutton, and beef intake) and the occurrence of mental disorders. However, it is unclear whether a causal association exists. Therefore, we employed the Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal effects of genetically predicted processed meat and red meat on mood disorders (MD), anxiety disorders (AD), and major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: Genetic instruments for processed and red meat were selected from the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of the UK Biobank Study. Their associations with MD (42,746 cases 254,976), AD (35,385 cases and 254,976 controls), and MDD (38,225 cases and 299,886 controls) were obtained from the FinnGen Consortium. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was the primary method for two-sample MR analysis. Additionally, we employed complementary analysis to assess the robustness of our MR findings (eg, MR Egger and weighted median). We also conducted multiple sensitivity analyses to investigate horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Moreover, we performed a univariate and multivariable MR (MVMR) study to evaluate these associations.

Results: In our univariate MR analysis, we observed that genetically predicted beef intake was associated with a reduced risk of MD [odds ratio (OR) = 0.403, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.246-0.659; P_IVW = 4.428 × 10^-5], AD (OR = 0.443, 95 % CI = 0.267-0.734; P_IVW = 1.563 × 10^-3), and MDD (OR = 0.373, 95 % CI = 0.216-0.643; P_IVW = 3.878 × 10^-4). After adjusting for processed meat, pork, and mutton intake in the MVMR analysis, the protective association of beef intake against MD and MDD remained. However, there was no substantial evidence indicating a significant causal relationship between processed meat, pork, and mutton intake and the occurrence of mental disorders. Furthermore, our sensitivity analysis revealed no significant evidence of horizontal pleiotropy.

Conclusion: These findings support a causal relationship between genetically predicted beef intake and reducing the risk of MD and MDD.

Keywords: Genome-wide association studies; Mendelian randomization; Mental disorders; Processed meat; Red meat.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cattle
Depressive Disorder, Major* / etiology
Depressive Disorder, Major* / genetics
Genome-Wide Association Study
Humans
Meat
Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Mental Disorders*
Red Meat* / adverse effects