The Triglyceride-Glucose Index as a Marker in Idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome

Background and objective Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is more common in diabetic patients than in the general population. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between idiopathic RLS and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, which is a simple and accessible marker of insulin resistance (IR). Materials and methods The study included 200 patients diagnosed with RLS according to the International Restless Study Group criteria, as well as 112 healthy volunteers. We interpreted the variables related to TyG and RLS by using the Pearson correlation coefficient and independent samples t-test. Multivariate linear regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were employed to demonstrate the discriminatory power of the variables. Results The mean age of the patients with RLS was 44.73 ±11.29 years, and 71.5% (n=43) were female. The level of triglycerides, as well as BMI and TyG index, were significantly higher in patients with RLS compared to the control group (p=0.040, p=0.001, p=0.019, respectively). The TyG index showed a positive correlation with both disease duration (months) and BMI (r=0.281, p=0.000; r=0.507, p=0.000). The results of the multivariate regression analysis indicated a linear relationship between the TyG index and increasing RLS severity and BMI (β=0.286, t=4.199, p=0.000; β=0.041, t=6.754, p=0.000). Conclusions Our study revealed a direct correlation between the TyG index and increased disease severity, disease duration, and BMI in RLS. The findings indicate that the TyG index may serve as a valuable marker for RLS severity and high BMI.