Multiomic Mendelian Randomization Study Investigating the Impact of PCSK9 and HMGCR Inhibition on Type 2 Diabetes Across Five Populations

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) varies among populations of different races/ethnicities. The influence of genetically proxied LDL cholesterol lowering through proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) on T2D in non-European populations is not well established. A drug target Mendelian randomization approach was used to assess the effects of PCSK9 and HMGCR inhibition on T2D risk and glycemic traits in five populations: East Asian (EAS), South Asian (SAS), Hispanic (HISP), African (AFR), and Europe (EUR). Our study did not find relationships between genetically proxied PCSK9 inhibition and T2D risk in the EAS (odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% CI 0.95–1.10), SAS (1.05; 0.97–1.14), HISP (1.03; 0.94–1.12), or EUR population (1.04; 0.98–1.11). However, in the AFR population, primary analyses suggested an increased risk of T2D resulting from PCSK9 inhibition (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.058–2.22; P = 0.024), although this was not supported in sensitivity analyses. Genetically proxied HMGCR inhibition was associated with an increased risk of T2D in SAS (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.30–1.61; P = 9.8 × 10−12), EAS (1.36; 1.22–1.51; P = 4.2 × 10−10), and EUR populations (1.52; 1.21–1.90; P = 3.3 × 10−4). These results were consistent across various sensitivity analyses, including colocalization, indicating a robust finding. The findings indicate a neutral impact of long-term PCSK9 inhibition on T2D and glycemic markers in most non-EUR populations, with a potential increased risk in AFR cohorts. By contrast, HMGCR inhibition increased the risk of T2D in SAS, EAS, and EUR cohorts, underscoring the need to consider diversity in genetic research on metabolic diseases. Article Highlights