Both genetic and nongenetic factors have been found to be associated with
type 2 diabetes, however, the correlation between them is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to fully decipher the nongenetic and genetic factor association network for
type 2 diabetes. We identified risk factors for
type 2 diabetes by systematically searching for related meta-analyses and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) database. Among a total of 27,822 studies screened, 202 articles were eligible, from which 174 nongenetic factors and 210 genetic factors associated with
type 2 diabetes were identified. Then, we obtained 584 associations between the nongenetic and genetic factors of
type 2 diabetes, based on which a risk factor association network was conducted. The nongenetic factors could be classified into seven categories according to the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD). Of these seven categories of nongenetic factors, five were found to be correlated with genes associated with
type 2 diabetes, including environmental risks, behavioral risks, metabolic risks, related disease of
type 2 diabetes, and treatments. Specifically,
air pollutants of environmental risks, alcohol using of behavioral risks,
obesity of metabolic risks,
rheumatoid arthritis of related disease risk, and
simvastatin of treatment was correlated with the largest number of genes. In summary, the correlation between genetic factors and nongenetic factors identified in this study indicates that there is a common phenotype-genotype association in
type 2 diabetes, with the combinations of genotypes ("genetic signature") clustering in phenotypes related to
type 2 diabetes. Thus, we should take a systematic approach to explore the relationship of various factors for
type 2 diabetes, as well as other
noncommunicable diseases.