Visceral adiposity index as a predictor of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

•The shapes of the dose-response associations between visceral adiposity index and type 2 diabetes were identified by almost all available studies.•Visceral adiposity index had a strong positive linear association with type 2 diabetes whether analysis of cohort studies or cross-sectional studies.•management of weight loss among obesity, especially the people characterized by the thin-on-the-outside--fat-on-the-inside phenotype may largely decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.