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The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver
Jing Wang1,2, Shoumeng Yan3, Yani Cui2
1Department of Anesthesiology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
Abstract:
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been related to a series of harmful health consequences. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) appears to be associated with MAFLD. However, no consistent conclusions about the TyG index and incident MAFLD have been reached. PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched. Sensitivities, specificities and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) with a random-effects model were used to assess the diagnostic performance of the TyG index in NAFLD/MAFLD participants. Potential threshold effects and publication bias were evaluated by Spearman’s correlation and Deeks’ asymmetry test, respectively. A total of 20 studies with 165725 MAFLD participants were included. The summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve showed that the sensitivity, specificity and AUC were 0.73 (0.69−0.76), 0.67 (0.65, 0.70) and 0.75 (0.71−0.79), respectively. Threshold effects (r = 0.490, p < 0.05) were confirmed to exist. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression showed that some factors including country, number of samples, age and disease situation were the sources of heterogeneity (p < 0.05). Our meta-analysis suggests that the TyG index can diagnose and predict MAFLD patients with good accuracy. The number of studies remains limited, and prospective studies are needed.
Insights
The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index shows good accuracy in diagnosing metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings for MAFLD prediction.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic disease research
- Hepatology
- Diagnostic marker evaluation
Background:
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is linked to adverse health outcomes.
- The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a potential marker for MAFLD, but its diagnostic utility requires clarification.
- Existing research on the TyG index and incident MAFLD lacks consistent conclusions.
Approach:
- A systematic meta-analysis was conducted using data from PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library.
- Diagnostic performance of the TyG index for MAFLD was assessed using sensitivities, specificities, and AUC with a random-effects model.
- Threshold effects and publication bias were evaluated, and heterogeneity sources were explored through subgroup analyses and meta-regression.
Key Points:
- The meta-analysis included 20 studies with 165,725 participants.
- The summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve indicated good diagnostic performance: sensitivity 0.73, specificity 0.67, and AUC 0.75.
- Threshold effects were present, and factors like country, sample size, age, and disease status contributed to heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- The TyG index demonstrates good accuracy for diagnosing and predicting MAFLD.
- While promising, the current number of studies is limited.
- Further prospective research is recommended to strengthen the evidence base for MAFLD prediction using the TyG index.
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