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September 17, 2024
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Insulin resistance measure may be ‘simple and cost-effective’ gout prediction tool

Fact checked byShenaz Bagha
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Key takeaways:

  • Gout risk rises with each unit increase in triglyceride glycemic index score.
  • The association was not impacted by age, race, BMI, hypertension and other covariates.
Perspective from Amar Q. Majjhoo, MD

U.S. adults with higher triglyceride glycemic index scores demonstrate a greater likelihood of developing gout, according to data published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition.

“The [triglyceride glycemic (TyG)] index was considered a good and novel index that could reflect insulin resistance (IR),” Tao Li, of Jiaying University, in China, and colleagues wrote. “It integrates triglycerides and fasting glucose, and was calculated by fasting triglycerides(mg/dl)*fasting glucose (mg/dl)/2, which was developed by Mendía et al. in 2008 and has been investigated widely.

Li Infographic
Data derived from Li T, et al. J Health Popul Nutr. 2024;doi:10.1186/s41043-024-00613-4.

“As it is more convenient and easily accessible in clinical settings compared to the complex technique of the plasma insulin in the homeostasis model assessment of IR, the TyG index may be a useful tool or reliable biomarker for assessing IR and its implication in metabolic diseases,” they added. “Accumulating evidence has shown that IR plays a role in the pathological process of gout.”

To analyze the link between triglyceride glycemic index score and gout in the United States, Li and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2017. Their analysis included 11,768 adults (73.26% aged younger than 60 years; 50.32% women), 5.12% of whom had gout.

Gout status was assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The researchers examined connections between triglyceride glycemic index and gout using weighted multivariable logistic regression analysis, subgroup analysis and interaction tests.

According to the researchers, each unit increase in the triglyceride glycemic index was linked to a 40% greater chance of developing gout (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.82-2.66), after adjustment for all covariates. Individuals in the highest tertile of the triglyceride glycemic index demonstrated greater gout risk (OR = 1.64; 95% CI, 1.06-2.54) than those in the lowest tertile.

The association between triglyceride glycemic index and gout was not impacted by age, race, marital status, poverty-income ratio, education, BMI, smoking or drinking status, hypertension or diabetes mellitus in interaction tests, according to the researchers.

“Our findings highlight that the TyG index is a reliable biomarker of IR; management of IR among adults may prevent or alleviate the development of gout; meanwhile, the TyG index may be a simple and cost-effective method to detect gout,” Li and colleagues wrote.

“Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal association between the TyG index and gout in the broader population to elucidate the potential mechanism of IR on gout,” they added.