Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #334571
Title: Associations of the MCM6-rs3754686 proxy for milk intake in Mediterranean and American populations with cardiovascular biomarkers, disease and mortality: Mendelian randomization

Author
item SMITH, CAREN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item COLTELL, OSCAR - University Jaume I Of Castellon
item SORLI, JOSE - University Of Valencia
item ESTRUCH, RAMON - Instituto De Salud Carlos Iii
item MARTINEZ-GONZALEZ, MIGUEI ANGEI - University Of Navarra
item SALAS-SALVADO, JORDI - University Rovira I Virgili
item FITO, MONTSERRAT - Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute
item AROS, FERNANDO - Hospital Txagorritxu
item DASHTI, HASSAN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item Lai, Chao Qiang
item MIRO, LETICIA - Distrito Sanitario Atencion Primaria
item SERRA-MAJEM, LLUIS - University Of Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
item GOMEZ-GRACIA, ENRIQUE - University Of Malaga
item FIOL, MIQUEL - Son Espases Hospital
item ROS, EMILIO - Instituto De Salud Carlos Iii
item ASLIBEKYAN, STELLA - University Of Alabama
item HIDALGO, BERTHA - University Of Alabama
item NEUHOUSER, MARIAN - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
item DI, CHONGZHI - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
item TUCKER, KATHERINE - University Of Massachusetts
item ARNETT, DONNA - University Of Alabama
item ORDOVAS, JOSE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item CORELLA, DOLORES - University Of Valencia

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/23/2016
Publication Date: 9/14/2016
Citation: Smith, C.E., Coltell, O., Sorli, J.V., Estruch, R., Martinez-Gonzalez, M., Salas-Salvado, J., Fito, M., Aros, F., Dashti, H.S., Lai, C., Miro, L., Serra-Majem, L., Gomez-Gracia, E., Fiol, M., Ros, E., Aslibekyan, S., Hidalgo, B., Neuhouser, M., Di, C., Tucker, K., Arnett, D.K., Ordovas, J.M., Corella, D. 2016. Associations of the MCM6-rs3754686 proxy for milk intake in Mediterranean and American populations with cardiovascular biomarkers, disease and mortality: Mendelian randomization. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/srep33188.

Interpretive Summary: The relation between consumption of dairy products and health has been highly controversial for decades. Whereas some experts consider that they are an essential food for health and specifically for bone health, other experts disagree and put forward the need to avoid them because of their potential effects on obesity and cardiovascular health. Some of the controversy comes from the huge diversity of dairy products in the market, their different associations with health outcomes and the complexity of estimating objectively their intake in populations. In order to address the latter problems, we have used genomic technologies as a proxy to improve dairy intake estimations and clarify diet-disease relationships. For this purpose we conducted a meta-analysis on over 20,000 subjects to evaluate the association between genetic persistence of lactase in the adult, dairy consumption and cardiovascular disease biomarkers in American (Hispanics, African-American and Whites) and Mediterranean populations. Overall our data does not support an increase of cardiovascular diseases and total mortality in relation to milk intake.

Technical Abstract: Controversy persists on the association between dairy products, especially milk, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Genetic proxies may improve dairy intake estimations, and clarify diet- disease relationships through Mendelian randomization. We meta- analytically (nT (nonpersistence>persistence), dairy intake, and CVD biomarkers in American (Hispanics, African- American and Whites) and Mediterranean populations. Moreover, we analyzed longitudinal associations with milk, CVD and mortality in PREDIMED), a randomized Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) intervention trial (n=7185). The MCM6-rs3754686/MCM6 rs309180 (as proxy), LP- allele (T) was strongly associated with higher milk intake, but inconsistently associated with glucose and lipids, and not associated with CVD or total mortality in the whole population. Heterogeneity analyses suggested some sex-specific associations. The T-allele was associated with higher CVD and mortality risk in women but not in men (P-sex interaction:0.005 and 0.032, respectively), mainly in the MedDiet group. However, milk intake was not associated with CVD biomarkers, CVD or mortality either generally or in sub-groups. Although MCM6-rs3754686 is a good milk intake proxy in these populations, attributing its associations with CVD and mortality in Mediterranean women to milk is unwarranted, as other factors limiting the assumption of causality in Mendelian randomization may exist.