NatCom: Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension Linked by Five Groups of Genetic Variants

Scientists from the University of Surrey (UK) and the University of Lille (France) have discovered that type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension share a common genetic basis. The findings were published in Nature Communications (NatCom).

Both conditions are often diagnosed in the same individual and significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Until now, however, it was unclear to what extent their co-occurrence is driven by shared biological mechanisms.

In the study, researchers analyzed over 1,300 genetic variants associated with diabetes and blood pressure regulation. They identified five clusters of DNA variants, each reflecting different biological pathways involved in disease development.

These clusters included variants linked to metabolic syndrome (a combination of metabolic disturbances such as obesity, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure), impaired pancreatic beta-cell function, general obesity, and vascular dysfunction. One cluster was found to have an inverse relationship between the risk of diabetes and hypertension.

The team then calculated genetic risk scores and applied them to data from more than 450,000 participants in the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database. Individuals with high scores in the clusters related to metabolic syndrome and beta-cell dysfunction had a significantly increased risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and hypertension simultaneously.

According to co-author Professor Inga Prokopenko, the results indicate that “cardiometabolic comorbidity” — the co-occurrence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases — is not a random phenomenon. Genetic data help explain why some patients develop both conditions while others do not.

The authors suggest that identifying shared genetic risk could support earlier diagnosis and the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies.

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