Could Triglyceride-Glucose Index, a Predictor of Atherosclerosis, Be Associated with Retinal Vein Occlusion?

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a sign of atherosclerosis in cardiovascular diseases. The TyG index is thought to have clinical significance for the assessment of vascular damage. In this study we aimed to demonstrate the connection between the TyG index and retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

This case-control observational study involved 492 participants aged 40-90, admitted to the ophthalmology outpatient clinic of our hospital. TyG index was calculated using the formula: ln(fasting TG [mg/dL] × fasting plasma glucose [mg/dL]/2).

The RVO group included 387 patients (181 women and 206 men) and the control group included 115 patients (61 women and 54 men). The average patient age was 62.9±11.1 years in the RVO group and 56.7±8.7 years in the control group. The TyG index was higher in the RVO group (8.9±0.7) than in the control group (8.8±0.6). This difference was statistically significant (p=0.04). The correlation was statistically significant when evaluated according to age and sex by multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio: 1.45, confidence interval: 1.03- 2.02, p=0.03).

The TyG index is a novel atherogenicity index that is derived from routine blood tests and can be used to determine the risk of RVO in at-risk individuals with a simple calculation. Therefore, the TyG index could help as a reliable guide to identify individuals at RVO with high risk and initiate early intervention.