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Review
. 2022 May 6;21(1):68.
doi: 10.1186/s12933-022-01511-x.

Triglyceride-glucose index as a marker in cardiovascular diseases: landscape and limitations

Li-Chan Tao #  1 , Jia-Ni Xu #  1 , Ting-Ting Wang  1 , Fei Hua  2 , Jian-Jun Li  3
Affiliations
Review

Triglyceride-glucose index as a marker in cardiovascular diseases: landscape and limitations

Li-Chan Tao et al. Cardiovasc Diabetol. .

Abstract

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been identified as a reliable alternative biomarker of insulin resistance (IR). Recently, a considerable number of studies have provided robust statistical evidence suggesting that the TyG index is associated with the development and prognosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, the application of the TyG index as a marker of CVD has not systemically been evaluated, and even less information exists regarding the underlying mechanisms associated with CVD. To this end, in this review, we summarize the history of the use of the TyG index as a surrogate marker for IR. We aimed to highlight the application value of the TyG index for a variety of CVD types and to explore the potential limitations of using this index as a predictor for cardiovascular events to improve its application value for CVD and provide more extensive and precise supporting evidence.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Insulin resistance; Triglyceride-glucose index.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The useful history of triglyceride-glucose index (TyG). TyG: triglyceride-glucose index; IR: insulin resistance; DM: diabetic mellitus; FBG: fasting blood glucose; CVD: cardiovascular disease
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The application of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in cardiovascular diseases. TyG: triglyceride-glucose index
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Potential molecular mechanisms that contribute to the predictive role of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Insulin resistance (IR) is a hallmark of metabolic syndrome and has been evidenced as a risk factor for CVD. The TyG index has been identified as a reliable alternative marker of IR, which may explain the association between the TyG index and CVD. The molecular mechanisms underlying IR and CVD include metabolic flexibility, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation disorders and smooth muscle cell dysfunction. TyG: triglyceride-glucose; CVD: cardiovascular diseases; IR: insulin resistance; NO: nitric oxide; ROS: reactive oxidative stress; TxA2: thromboxane A2; TF: tissue factor; PGI2: prostaglandin I2
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