Shared Genetic Etiology between Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease Identified by Bioinformatics Analysis

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two major health issues, and increasing evidence in recent years supports the close connection between these two diseases. The present study aimed to explore the shared genetic etiology underlying T2D and AD based on the available genome wide association studies (GWAS) data collected through August 2014. We performed bioinformatics analyses based on GWAS data of T2D and AD on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), gene, and pathway levels, respectively. Six SNPs (rs111789331, rs12721046, rs12721051, rs4420638, rs56131196, and rs66626994) were identified for the first time to be shared genetic factors between T2D and AD. Further functional enrichment analysis found lipid metabolism related pathways to be common between these two disorders. The findings may have important implications for future mechanistic and interventional studies for T2D and AD.