Depression and type 2 diabetes risk: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Extensive observational evidence has suggested an association between depression and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the causal relationships between these two diseases require further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the bidirectional causal effect between two types of depression and T2D using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: We applied two-step MR techniques, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as the genetic instruments for analysis. We utilized summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for major depression (MD), depressive status (frequency of depressed mood in the last two weeks), T2D, and other known T2D risk factors such as obesity, sedentary behavior (time spent watching television), and blood pressure. The analysis utilized inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, weighted median, weighted mode, MR pleiotropy residual sum, and outlier methods to determine potential causal relationships. Results: The study found that MD was positively associated with T2D, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.26 (95% CI: 1.10-1.43, p = 5.6×10 Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a causal relationship between depression and an increased risk of developing T2D, with both major depression and depressive status being positively associated with T2D.