Association Between Triglyceride/Glucose Index and Established Insulin Resistance Indices in a Libyan Cohort

• Amani Tayeh

  Department of Biomedical Science, Libyan Academy-Aljabal Al-akther Branch, Al-Bayda, Libya

  Author

• Mohamed Ahmida

  Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya.

  Author

Insulin resistance (IR) is a major metabolic abnormality associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, and increased cardiometabolic risk. The triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index has been proposed as a simple surrogate marker for insulin resistance; however, its clinical utility remains under investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the TyG index and its association with fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin, and the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). In addition, its diagnostic performance for detecting insulin resistance was assessed. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 108 participants. Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected, including FBG, fasting insulin, and triglycerides. The TyG index and HOMA-IR were calculated using standard equations. Insulin resistance was defined as HOMA-IR > 2.5. Correlation analysis was performed using Pearson’s or Spearman’s methods according to data distribution. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the TyG index. The TyG index showed significant positive correlations with FBG, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. ROC curve analysis demonstrated fair discriminatory performance for detecting insulin resistance, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.722 (95% confidence interval: 0.625–0.818, p < 0.001).  The TyG index demonstrated a significant association with established markers of insulin resistance and showed fair diagnostic performance. It may serve as a simple and practical surrogate marker for insulin resistance in clinical and epidemiological settings.

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