Entitled “Beyond Observation: Using Genetics to Help Understand Alcohol’s Health Impact”, the workshop offered a plain-language introduction to Mendelian randomisation (MR) for the wider alcohol research community.
Causal inference is a longstanding challenge in alcohol epidemiology. For decades, observational studies have suggested that light-to-moderate drinking may be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk than abstention. Yet this apparent protective effect remains controversial, and is increasingly demonstrated by genetic studies to be largely non-causal. The workshop outlined how MR uses genetic variants associated with alcohol consumption as tools to assess the causal relationship between alcohol drinking and disease outcomes.
In the workshop, Dr Im explained why East Asian populations with two common genetic variants that affect alcohol tolerance are particularly informative for alcohol MR studies. She showed how landmark MR studies from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) have challenged the apparent protective effect of moderate drinking for stroke and supported alcohol’s harm on a wider range of diseases than previously understood. Dr Huang also presented examples of how MR have been in European populations to study alcohol’s effects on cardiovascular disease, mortality, and dementia. The workshop highlighted the importance for triangulating evidence across different study designs and diverse populations to build a more robust understanding of alcohol’s health effects.
The workshop attracted an international and multidisciplinary audience, with participants from backgrounds including modelling, nursing, medicine, social psychology, epidemiology, alcohol policy, and science communication. Participants engaged in an interactive discussion of the implications of MR for wider alcohol research and policy, as well as the challenges and opportunities of applying MR in their own fields. The workshop received very positive feedback, with those working in science communication saying that the workshop helped them better understand how to interpret MR evidence in their daily work and translate complex findings into clear language for the public.
Dr Pek Kei (Becky) Im said: “It was a real pleasure to introduce MR to colleagues from such varied research and professional backgrounds. I hope the workshop contributed to capacity building, by supporting wider understanding and thoughtful use of genetic evidence alongside other forms of evidence in wider alcohol-related research and practice. Through my Wellcome Career Development Award, I am continuing to investigate alcohol’s causal impact on ischemic heart disease and other health outcomes in diverse populations using MR and broader multidisciplinary approaches.”
Dr Yani Huang added: “The workshop was a valuable opportunity to discuss how MR evidence can be interpreted in context, alongside other forms of evidence. It was encouraging to see participants from different disciplines engaging in discussion about potential wider implications of the approach.”
Dr Im and Dr Huang acknowledge the Wellcome Trust for supporting their attendance at the KBS conference. Dr Im also acknowledges travel support from Wolfson College, and thanks Associate Professor Iona Millwood for her advice on workshop planning.