ArticleBMC medicine2023
An atlas of associations between 14 micronutrients and 22 cancer outcomes: Mendelian randomization analyses.
Article in BMC medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors of ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Mendelian randomiation studies.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Risk factors for prostate cancer: An umbrella review of prospective observational studies and mendelian randomization analyses.PLoS medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Causal effects of 32 eating habits on ischemic stroke risk and post-stroke functional outcome: A Mendelian randomization study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- A nutrient-wide analysis of the associations of dietary nutrients with all-cause and disease-specific mortality.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Causal Relationship Between Neurotrophins and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Insights From a Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Multi-omics analysis reveals that FABP2 suppresses colorectal cancer progression by regulating sphingomyelin metabolism via the PPAR signaling pathway.Cancer cell international · 2026Article
- CD300C reduces lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility through regulation of CD62L⁻ monocytes: a Mendelian randomization study.Discover oncology · 2026Article
- Causal Association Between Commonly Used Medicines and Diabetes-Related Eye Diseases: Univariable and Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Study.Journal of diabetes research · 2026Article
- Causal associations of specific immunoglobulin G N-glycosylation subtypes with osteoporosis: A two-sample Mendelian randomization.Joint diseases and related surgery · 2026Article
- Integrating Multi-Omics Data to Uncover Causal Links Between Mitochondria-Related Genes and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026Article
- Balancing the scales: folic acid and vitamin B12 in the aggressiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma.Clinical and experimental medicine · 2025Article
- Causality Between Immune Cells, Metabolites and Breast Cancer: Mendelian Randomization and Mediation Analysis.Biochemical genetics · 2025Article
- Causal association between immunoglobulin G N-glycosylation patterns and diabetic complications: two-sample mendelian randomization.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2025Article
- Review
- Mendelian randomization analysis of modifiable risk factors for breast cancer.Discover oncology · 2025Review
- Causal Links Between Bone Diseases and Temporomandibular Disorders.International dental journal · 2025Article
- Deciphering the causality between micronutrients and esophageal cancer via Mendelian randomization.Nutrition & metabolism · 2025Article
- Zinc alleviates stroke development through autophagy-mediated modulation of immune microenvironment.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Genetic prediction of the casual relationship between micronutrients and ER+ breast cancer: a Mendelian randomized study.Frontiers in genetics · 2025Article
- Regulatory T cells-related gene in primary sclerosing cholangitis: evidence from Mendelian randomization and transcriptome data.Genes and immunity · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMicronutrients, namely vitamins and minerals, are associated with cancer outcomes; however, their reported effects have been inconsistent across studies. We aimed to identify the causally estimated effects of micronutrients on cancer by applying the Mendelian randomization (MR) method, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with micronutrient levels as instrumental variables.
methodsWe obtained instrumental variables of 14 genetically predicted micronutrient levels and applied two-sample MR to estimate their causal effects on 22 cancer outcomes from a meta-analysis of the UK Biobank (UKB) and FinnGen cohorts (overall cancer and 21 site-specific cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer), in addition to six major cancer outcomes and 20 cancer subset outcomes from cancer consortia. We used sensitivity MR methods, including weighted median, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO, to assess potential horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity. Genome-wide association summary statistical data of European descent were used for both exposure and outcome data, including up to 940,633 participants of European descent with 133,384 cancer cases.
resultsIn total, 672 MR tests (14 micronutrients × 48 cancer outcomes) were performed. The following two associations met Bonferroni significance by the number of associations (P < 0.00016) in the UKB plus FinnGen cohorts: increased risk of breast cancer with magnesium levels (odds ratio [OR] = 1.281 per 1 standard deviation [SD] higher magnesium level, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.151 to 1.426, P < 0.0001) and increased risk of colorectal cancer with vitamin B12 level (OR = 1.22 per 1 SD higher vitamin B12 level, 95% CI = 1.107 to 1.345, P < 0.0001). These two associations remained significant in the analysis of the cancer consortia. No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was observed. Micronutrient levels were not associated with overall cancer risk.
conclusionsOur results may aid clinicians in deciding whether to regulate the intake of certain micronutrients, particularly in high-risk groups without nutritional deficiencies, and may help in the design of future clinical trials.
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