Association of the Triglyceride Glucose Index With Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Injury

Objectives The study aimed at estimating the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index in patients with ischemic stroke, exploring the correlation between the TyG index and the prognosis of ischemic stroke, and studying the clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in association with the TyG index. Methods An observational study was conducted on 105 patients with a history of AIS presenting within 24 hours. The TyG index was estimated, and the clinical outcome was studied. The outcome measures were neurological worsening (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >=2 gain at discharge above admission), poor functional outcomes (assessed by derangement of modified Rankin scale (mRS) at three months), stroke recurrence, and three-month mortality rate. The NIHSS and mRS were assessed at admission, discharge, and three months later. Results The mean TyG index of AIS patients was 9.26±0.2. Compared to patients without neurological worsening (n=8), patients with neurological worsening had a significantly higher TyG index (9.5±0.19 vs. 9.21±0.21, p<.0001). Compared to patients without poor functional outcomes (n=20), patients with poor functional outcomes had a similar TyG index (9.31±0.31 vs. 9.25±0.22, p=0.418). Compared to patients without recurrence, those with recurrence of stroke had a significantly higher TyG index (9.55±0.18 vs. 9.15±0.15, p<.0001). On the follow-up of three months post-stroke, compared to survivors, non-survivors had a similar TyG index (9.12±0.25 vs. 9.27±0.24, p=0.09). Conclusion The TyG index showed a significant association with outcomes of AIS in terms of stroke recurrence and neurological worsening. Overall, it shows that insulin resistance has a significant impact on the neurological outcomes and recurrence of stroke in AIS patients.