Reduced Cardiovascular Risk Indicated by Changes in Triglyceride-Glucose Index After Pancreas Transplantation

BACKGROUND Pancreas transplantation is the best causal treatment for type I diabetes. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a validated marker of the long-term risk of cardiovascular episodes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential reduction in cardiovascular risk, using the TyG index as a surrogate marker, in patients undergoing pancreas transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS The analysis was conducted on data obtained from 86 patients undergoing pancreas transplantation at the Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw. Serum triglyceride and glucose levels were recorded at the stage of qualification for transplantation and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. The repeated measures ANOVA model was applied to the group of patients with complete data (n=14), showing a statistically significant effect of time. The difference between values before and after 12 months was statistically significant. RESULTS The mixed model confirmed the significant effect of time on the TyG index value. The mean TyG index value decreased significantly 1 month after transplantation and remained stable. Trend analysis was performed for the TyG index values at 3 time points: before transplant, early follow-up, and late follow-up. The mean TyG index decreased significantly as early as 1 to 3 months. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of pancreas transplant recipients, transplantation was strongly associated with a reduction in the TyG index, suggesting a lower long-term risk of cardiovascular events.