In a Mendelian randomization (MR) study, associations were identified between genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes and increased risk of several gastrointestinal diseases (GD), researchers report. The findings highlight “the importance of GD prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes,” the authors conclude.
Instrument variables in the analysis were uncorrelated genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c at the genome-wide significance. Genetic associations with 23 common GDs were made using data from the FinnGen and UK Biobank studies and other large consortia.
“Genetic liability to type 2 diabetes was associated with the risk of 12 GDs,” the authors write. “Per 1-unit increase in the log-transformed odds ratio (OR) of type 2 diabetes, the OR was 1.06 (95% CI, 1.03–1.09) for gastroesophageal reflux disease, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.07–1.17) for gastric ulcer, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03–1.20) for acute gastritis, 1.07 (95% CI, 1.01–1.13) for chronic gastritis, 1.08 (95% CI, 1.03–1.12) for irritable bowel syndrome, 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01–1.07) for diverticular disease, 1.08 (95% CI, 1.02–1.14) for acute pancreatitis, 1.09 (95% CI, 1.05–1.12) for cholelithiasis, 1.09 (95% CI, 1.05–1.13) for cholelithiasis with cholecystitis, 1.29 (95% CI, 1.17–1.43) for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.03–1.21) for liver cirrhosis, and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89–0.97) for ulcerative colitis. Genetically predicted higher levels of fasting insulin and glucose were associated with six and one GDs, respectively.”