Association of Triglyceride-Glucose Index with the Progression of Atherosclerosis and Impairment of Arterial Endothelial Function

Aims This study aims to investigate the correlation between the (TyG) index and the progression of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Methods We retrospectively collected data from 150 adult inpatients with atherosclerosis who received consistent medical care at the Cardiovascular Department of Shuguang Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from January 2018 to December 2023. The TyG index was calculated by using the formula TyG = ln[triglyceride (TG) [mg/dL] × fasting blood glucose (FBG) [mg/dL]/2]. The relationship between TyG and the progression of atherosclerosis, Flow-Mediated Dilation (FMD), Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV), and Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) was explored using SPSS 27.0 software and R (version 4.3.1, Austria) software. Results There was a significant correlation between the patient’s TyG index and the intima-media thickness (IMT) of both carotid and lower limb arteries (P < 0.05). There was also a noteworthy correlation between the TyG index and the peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the left femoral artery (P = 0.019), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) (P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis still showed that TyG is correlated with the progression of atherosclerosis (P < 0.0001). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the TyG index possessed predictive value for the progression of atherosclerosis in carotid arteries (AUC = 0.774, P < 0.001) and lower limb arteries (AUC = 0.8, P < 0.001) comparable to the Framingham Risk Score. Conclusion The TyG index is closely correlated with the progression of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness.