Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Risk of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A...

Area of Science:

• Metabolic health
• Hepatology
• Cardiovascular risk factors

Background:

• Insulin resistance (IR) is a key factor in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) development.
• The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a readily available marker for IR.
• The association between the TyG index and incident MAFLD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between baseline TyG index and the risk of developing MAFLD.
• To assess the TyG index as a predictor for incident MAFLD in a Chinese cohort.

Main Methods:

• A health check-up cohort of 2056 Chinese individuals was established.
• The TyG index was calculated using fasting triglyceride and glucose levels: ln (fasting triglyceride [mg/dL]×fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2).
• Cox proportional hazard models and restricted cubic spline analysis were employed to evaluate the longitudinal association.

Main Results:

• Over a mean follow-up of 2.5 years, 12.8% of participants developed MAFLD, with incidence increasing across TyG index quartiles (Ptrend < 0.05).
• A higher baseline TyG index independently predicted increased MAFLD risk (HR = 1.784, P < 0.001).
• The highest TyG index quartile showed a twofold higher MAFLD risk compared to the lowest (95% CI = 1.377-2.992, P = 0.001). The relationship was linear in males and nonlinear in females.

Conclusions:

• Elevated baseline TyG index is independently associated with a higher risk of incident MAFLD.
• The TyG index may serve as a valuable tool for developing preventative strategies against MAFLD.