The IVW method revealed that the interleukin 6 receptor was inversely correlated with gastric cancer progression (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.74–0.99, P = .03), whereas fatty acid-binding protein 4 was found to elevate the risk (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.05–1.39, P = .03). Here, FABP4 is linked to gastric cancer.