Higher TyG-Frailty Index Linked to Increased CKD Risk: Study

A recent research published in the journal of Endocrine revealed that a higher Triglyceride-Glucose Frailty Index (TyGFI) was associated with both existing (prevalent) and new-onset (incident) chronic kidney disease (CKD). TyG-Frailty Index may be a useful marker reflecting combined metabolic and frailty-related burden, but its predictive and clinical value requires further validation.

The findings, based on analyses of two large national population datasets from China and the US, indicate that people with elevated TyGFI scores were significantly more likely to have CKD, while those with persistently high or increasing TyGFI levels over time faced a markedly greater risk of developing the disease. The study highlights the potential value of TyGFI as a simple epidemiological indicator that captures both metabolic dysfunction and frailty-related health burden.

This cross-sectional analyses involving 8,721 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and 9,670 participants from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In addition, a longitudinal analysis followed 4,102 CHARLS participants to evaluate how changes in TyGFI influenced the future onset of CKD.

TyGFI combines the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a recognized marker of insulin resistance and metabolic health, with the Frailty Index (FI), which measures the accumulation of health deficits associated with aging. By integrating these two indicators, this study aimed to determine whether TyGFI could better reflect an individual's overall vulnerability to CKD.

The analysis found that higher TyGFI scores, older age, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were all independently associated with CKD. Participants in the highest TyGFI quartile had nearly 4 times the odds of having CKD when compared to those in the lowest quartile in both national datasets. Similarly, individuals with the highest cumulative TyGFI during follow-up experienced more than a 4-fold higher risk of developing CKD. Those whose TyGFI progressively increased over time also showed a substantially elevated risk, showing the importance of monitoring long-term metabolic and frailty changes.

Dose-response analyses further demonstrated that the risk of CKD increased steadily as TyGFI levels rose, suggesting that even gradual increases in the index may correspond to greater kidney disease risk. These consistent findings across different populations strengthen the evidence supporting TyGFI as a meaningful marker of kidney health. Overall, the study suggests that TyGFI may serve as a compact and practical epidemiological marker for identifying individuals at elevated risk of CKD, offering a potential avenue for earlier risk assessment and preventive healthcare strategies.

Reference:

Cheng, C., Jiang, Y., Luo, Q., Qin, F., & Yuan, J. (2026). Association of the combined triglyceride-glucose and frailty index with chronic kidney disease: evidence from two national cohort studies. Endocrine, 91(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-026-04738-w