Improvement of Triglyceride-Glucose Index Following Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Sleeve Gastrectomy in Mice using Surgical Clips
Published on: November 14, 2020
Tannaz Jamialahamdi1,2, Kishore M Gadde3, Ninh T Nguyen3
1Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Background:
Bariatric surgery is an effective intervention for the management of severe obesity and its associated comorbidities, including metabolic abnormalities. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a novel marker of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) V4 software. The overall effect size was determined by a random-effects meta-analysis and the leave-one-out approach.
Results:
A total of 9 trials including 1620 individuals confirmed a significant reduction in TyG following bariatric surgery (weighted mean difference (WMD) - 0.770, 95% CI - 1.006, - 0.534, p < 0.001). In a sub-analysis according to the type of bariatric surgery there was a significant reduction in TyG index for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (WMD - 0.775, 95% CI - 1.000, - 0.550, p < 0.001), and sleeve gastrectomy (WMD - 0.920, 95% CI - 1.368, - 0.473, p < 0.001). In a sub-analysis according to the follow-up duration there was similarly a significant reduction in TyG index for both < 12 months (WMD - 1.645, 95% CI - 2.123, - 1.167, p < 0.001), and ≥ 12 months follow-up (WMD - 0.954, 95% CI - 1.606, - 0.303, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in the TyG index following bariatric surgery, indicating improved insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. These findings highlight the potential of bariatric surgery as a valuable therapeutic option for individuals with obesity and its metabolic consequences.
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