[Triglycerides glucose index in Madrid university students]

Introduction: the World Health Organization has redefined the term obesity by introducing the concept of pre-obesity as a state of excess adiposity that does not compromise the body's functionality. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of pre-obesity in the university population, with a particular emphasis on the efficacy of the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG). Additionally, we aim to investigate the prognostic value of anthropometry and body composition in identifying elevated TyG. Materials and methods: the study involved the analysis of blood biochemistry, blood pressure, body fat percentage (BF %) by impedance, height, weight, waist, and hip circumferences for 333 university students of both sexes. Body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio were calculated. Four pre-obesity constructs according to BMI but with excess abdominal adiposity were developed, and the physiometabolic profile (glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, TyG levels) was compared in each of them with the normal weight category. ROC curves were applied to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off points that diagnose high TyG (≥ 8.5) based on anthropometry. Results: the physiometabolic profiles of the subjects included in the four constructs (32.1 % of the sample) and non-pre-obese participants showed differences. The % GC demonstrated the largest area under the ROC curve (0.756 in men, 0.677 in women), with sensitivity and specificity of 65 % and 79 % in men and 52.6-74 % in women, respectively. Conclusions: it is confirmed that excess fat is the anthropometric condition that best predicts a higher-risk cardiometabolic profile, represented by elevated TyG.