A Mendelian Randomization Study about Causal Associations between Tofu Consumption and Stroke as well as Related Subtypes.

Objective: Consuming soy in the diet is beneficial for health, and tofu possess the richest source of dietary soy. However, the specific association with stroke and related subtypes remains controversial. In this study, the genetic causal relationship among tofu and stroke as well as the subtypes was investigated by utilizing the data in a number of genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on population.

Methods: The tofu intake GWAS analysis is derived from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol (MRC-IEU) Consortium. The two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was carried out, utilizing multiple analysis methods to analyze the associations with stroke and related subtypes. The sensitivity, heterogeneity, and potential pleiotropy could be investigated by multiple analysis method.

Results: We found that tofu intake had no causal relationship with stroke. However, in stroke subtype, there is a causal relationship among tofu intake with the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (odds ratio, OR = 1.24 × 10, 95% CI: 1.54 × 10-9.95 × 10, = 9.300 × 10), while tofu intake does not affect the risk of ischemic stroke (OR = 1.07 × 10, 95% CI: 3.84 × 10-2.97 × 10, = 4.362 × 10) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (OR = 3.33 × 10, 95% CI: 1.79 × 10-6.18, = 1.373 × 10). Both the Mendelian randomization PRESSO (MR-PRESSO) global test and Cochran's Q test did not detect any sensitivity and heterogeneity.

Conclusions: While tofu consumption is associated with a higher risk of ICH, it does not show a significant relationship with ischemic stroke or SAH. The varying effects of tofu on different stroke subtypes underscore the need for considering potential confounding dietary and lifestyle factors in future studies.