Type 2 diabetes is associated with a range of non-cardiovascular non-oncologic comorbidities. To move beyond associations and evaluate causal effects between type 2 diabetes genetic predisposition and 21 comorbidities, we apply Mendelian randomization analysis using genome-wide association studies across multiple genetic ancestries. Additionally, leveraging eight mechanistic clusters of type 2 diabetes genetic profiles, each representing distinct biological pathways, we investigate causal links between cluster-stratified type 2 diabetes genetic predisposition and comorbidity risk. We identify causal effects of type 2 diabetes genetic predisposition driven by distinct genetic clusters. For example, the risk-increasing effects of type 2 diabetes genetic predisposition on cataracts and erectile dysfunction are primarily attributed to adiposity and glucose regulation mechanisms, respectively. We observe opposing effect directions across different genetic ancestries for depression, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our findings leverage the heterogeneity underpinning type 2 diabetes genetic predisposition to prioritize biological mechanisms underlying causal relationships with comorbidities.
Institute(s)Institute of Translational Genomics (ITG)
GrantsNIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, CTSI National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease Diabetes Research Center (DRC) Southern California Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) American Diabetes Association NHGRI National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Medical University of Bialystok (MUB) grant from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Poland) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutues of Health European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program