Association between triglyceride-glucose body mass index and frailty in hospitalized older adults: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Background The relationship between the triglyceride-glucose body mass index (TyG-BMI) and frailty is unclear. This study aimed to assess whether the triglyceride-glucose body mass index (TyG-BMI) is associated with frailty in hospitalized older adults. Methods Data were retrospectively collected on patients aged 65 years and older who had been hospitalized in the Geriatrics Department of Xi’an First Hospital between January 2024 and January 2025. Frailty was assessed using the frailty scale, with values of 3–5 indicating frailty. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between TyG-BMI and frailty, and two-segment linear regression and curve fitting were used to explore the possibility of a nonlinear association between TyG-BMI and frailty. In addition, subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the impact of related comorbidities on the relationship between TyG-BMI and the risk of frailty. Results A total of 759 patients were included in the analysis. TyG-BMI was significantly associated with frailty after adjusting for confounders. For every 10-unit increase in TyG-BMI, the risk of frailty decreased by 7% (odds ratio [OR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.99). In an analysis according to TyG-BMI quartiles, compared with the Q1 group, the risk of frailty was significantly lower in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups (OR [95% CI]: 0.5 [0.28–0.90], 0.46 [0.24–0.87], and 0.53 [0.29–1.00], respectively). In patients with a TyG-BMI < 200, the risk of frailty decreased by 2% (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99), for every 10-unit increase in TyG-BMI, whereas in patients with a TyG-BMI was ≥ 200, the risk of frailty was not associated with TyG-BMI (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99–1.02). Additionally, the risk of frailty was higher in men than in women. Conclusion TyG-BMI is significantly associated with the risk of frailty in hospitalized older adults. Clinicians should pay close attention to the risk of frailty in patients with a TyG-BMI < 200 and provide early intervention.