Investigators found genetic evidence of a causal relationship between habitual coffee consumption and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The analysis, reported in Ophthalmology, used data from a genome-wide association study involving 121,824 individuals of European descent.¹

Three sets of instrumental variables were used to evaluate the causal association between coffee consumption and POAG risk, they wrote. Genetically predicted higher coffee consumption phenotype 1 (cups/day) was significantly associated with higher POAG risk (OR, 1.241; 95% CI, 1.041-1.480; P=.016). Genetically predicted higher coffee consumption phenotype 2 (high vs no/low) was also significantly associated with higher POAG risk (OR, 1.155; 95% CI, 1.038-1.284; P=.008). Additionally, genetically predicted higher coffee intake from MRC-IEU UK Biobank was also used to identify instruments for coffee intake. That measure was also significantly associated with higher risk of POAG (OR, 1.727; 95% CI, 1.230-2.425; P=.002). Li et al wrote that, because coffee is widely consumed, the findings provide new insights into potential strategies to prevent and manage POAG.

Reference

1. Li X, Cheng S, Cheng J, Wang M, Zhong Y, Yu A. Habitual coffee consumption increases risk of primary open-angle glaucoma: a Mendelian randomization study. [Published online ahead of print, 2022 May 10]. Ophthalmology. 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.04.027