The role of triglyceride-glucose index in determining subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with primary hypertension

O. Inan, E.S. Sahiner, I. Ates

Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. drosmaninan@gmail.com

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• Cardiology
• Internal Medicine
• Metabolism

OBJECTIVE: With the current study, we aimed at examining the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with primary hypertension.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 185 patients with primary hypertension were included in this study. The following findings were considered to be associated with target organ damage (TOD): urinary protein excretion > 150 mg/dL and microalbumin excretion > 30 mg/dL, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ≥ 0.9 mm or carotid plaque and/or left ventricular mass index (LVMI) > 95 g/m2 in women, > 115 g/m2 in men.

RESULTS: TyG index values were positively correlated with levels of CIMT (r=0.434; p<0.001), LVMI (r=0.351; p<0.001), microalbuminuria (r=0.347; p<0.001), and proteinuria (r=0.355; p<0.001). In the multivariable regression model, in which the variables associated with the presence of TOD were included, increased age (OR: 1.04, p=0.025), increased body mass index (OR: 1.10, p=0.042), and increased TyG index value (OR: 1.05, p<0.001) had independent associations with TOD. The threshold value of the TyG index for the presence of TOD was determined as > 8.85 with 79.0% sensitivity and 77.1% specificity (AUC±SE: 0.859±0.03, +PV: 70.6%, -PV: 84.0%, p<0.001). The TyG index had a superior diagnostic discrimination compared to its components in predicting the presence of TOD.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased TyG index values in patients with primary hypertension are associated with damage to target organs, not merely subclinical atherosclerosis.

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