Approved research

Coffee and the risk of chronic diseases, including liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease.

Lay summary

Observational studies indicate that coffee consumption may protect against certain chronic diseases, including liver cancer, cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. However, it is uncertain whether there is an underlying causal mechanism or if the observations result from confounding factors. Our aim is to investigate whether an association between the aforementioned chronic diseases and coffee consumption exists among UK Biobank participants, and to test the causality of the associations using genetic analysis. The aim of this work is to support the development of new strategies for the prevention of chronic disease, including liver cancer, cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and kidney disease. We will apply epidemiological and genetic methods to the data in Biobank. We will first determine if there are associations between baseline coffee consumption and outcomes relating to liver, kidney and metabolic diseases. We will then test for effect modification of those associations by risk factors (e.g. smoking, BMI) and genotypes related to coffee metabolism. Finally, we will assess the causality of the associations by performing a Mendelian randomisation analysis, which will involve performing a genome wide association study to identify for genetic markers of coffee consumption. Full cohort