Triglyceride-glucose index promising predictor of risk of gallstone, suggests study

Triglycerides and fasting blood glucose are two biomarkers that are used in the TyG index to quantify insulin resistance (IR) and evaluate insulin sensitivity in the human body. So, Hongliang Li and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that spanned from 2017 to 2020 to look into the relationship between gallstones and the TyG index.

This objective of this survey was to evaluate the current state of health of the Americans. Every NHANES program participant gave their informed consent and freely took part in the study. In this study, subgroup analysis, logistic regression analysis, smooth curve fitting, and participant characteristics were used to assess the association between TyG index and gallstones.

Gallstones were reported by 403 of the 3870 people over the age of 20 in the research, representing a 10.4% prevalence rate. The incidence of gallstones rose by 41% for every unit rise in the TyG index after controlling for all confounding variables (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.07, 1.86). Gallstones and the TyG index were positively correlated, according to the smooth curve fitting.

According to subgroup analysis, the TyG index significantly increased the incidence of gallstones in those under 50, women, the individuals with total cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg/dL, people with body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, and people without diabetes. Overall, the study finds a strong link between gallstone risk and a higher TyG index. 

Reference:

Li, H., & Zhang, C. (2024). Association between triglyceride-glucose index and gallstones: a cross-sectional study. In Scientific Reports (Vol. 14, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68841-6