Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Development of Asthma in US Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Metabolic abnormalities, such as insulin resistance (IR) and dyslipidemia, have been linked to an increased risk of asthma. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), a metric indicating metabolic dysfunction, exhibits correlations with metabolic syndrome and IR. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between TyG and asthma in the pediatric population. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between TyG and asthma among adolescents.

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2012 was analyzed in this cross-sectional study. The association between TyG and asthma was evaluated using various statistical methods, including multivariate logistic regression analysis, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, threshold effects analysis, and subgroup analysis.

A total of 1,629 adolescent participants were enrolled in the study, consisting of 878 (53.9%) males and 751 females (46.1%), with a mean age of 15.5 years. After adjusting for all covariates in the multivariate logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for TyG and asthma in the highest quintile (Q5, > 8.65) was 4.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54, 11.81; P = 0.005) compared to the TyG in the second quintile (Q2, 7.68-7.96). Additionally, the multivariate RCS analysis revealed a non-linear relationship between TyG and asthma (P = 0.003). In the threshold analysis, the adjusted OR of asthma was 0.001 (95% CI, 0, 0.145; P = 0.007) in participants with a TyG < 7.78, and the adjusted OR of asthma was 3.685 (95% CI, 1.499, 9.058; P = 0.004) in participants with a TyG ≥ 7.78. Subgroup analysis did not show any interactive role for TyG and asthma.

In US adolescents, a U-shaped association was observed between asthma and the TyG, with a critical turning point identified at around 7.78.