Association between the triglyceride-glucose index and the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease: a retrospective study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a primary contributor to coronary artery disease (CAD). Insulin resistance (IR) is a hallmark of T2DM and a significant risk factor for the progression of CAD. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a new alternative indicator to identify IR. We aimed to explore the association between the TyG index and severity of CAD in patients with T2DM.

Methods: 280 inpatients with T2DM were enrolled from November 2019 to November 2022, classified into the CAD group (n = 175) and non-CAD group (n = 105). The TyG index and SYNTAX score were calculated. According to SYNTAX score, patients were further classified into the mid-CAD group (n = 97) and moderate to severe CAD group (n = 78).

Results: A significant positive correlation between the TyG index and SYNTAX score was found in the CAD group (r = 0.70, p < 0.01). The TyG index predicted the presence of moderate to severe CAD significantly, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.85, p < 0.01). The higher LDL-C and TyG index, the higher risk of developing moderate to severe CAD (OR = 4.40, 95% CI 1.28 - 15.16, p = 0.02; OR = 9.00, 95% CI 3.69 - 21.96, p < 0.01).

Conclusions: There was a significantly positive correlation between the TyG index and SYNTAX score in T2DM patients who developed CAD; the TyG index could predict a mid/high SYNTAX score (≥ 23) and increase the risk of moderate to severe CAD.