Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Aug 2023)

Triglyceride-Glucose Index is Related to Carotid Artery Plaque in Railway Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Pan J,
  • Yang B,
  • Wang Z,
  • Tang L,
  • Jia P,
  • Yang S,
  • Zeng H

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 2561 – 2571

Abstract

Read online

Jia Pan,1,* Bo Yang,1,* Zihang Wang,2 Lei Tang,1 Peng Jia,3,4 Shujuan Yang,1,2,4 Honglian Zeng1 1Department of Clinical Medical College & Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of International Institute of Spatial Health Epidemiology (ISLE), Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shujuan Yang; Honglian Zeng, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: China has the highest rail transportation density in the world. Compared to other occupational populations, railway workers in China face increased risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and carotid artery plaque (CAP) in a population of railway workers in southwest China.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 3169 railway workers who were categorized into four groups based on TyG index quartiles. The presence of CAP was assessed using carotid Doppler ultrasound. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to estimate the association between TyG index and CAP, and subgroup analyses were performed based on age, blood pressure, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), smoking, drinking, and physical activity.Results: Participants with higher TyG index quartiles had a higher prevalence of CAP, with 11.63%, 14.11%, 20.20%, and 18.56% from the first to fourth quartile, respectively. The multi-adjusted logistic regression models showed a positive association between TyG index and the risk of CAP (odds ratio [OR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06– 1.41) when treated as a continuous variable. When analyzed as a categorical variable with increasing TyG index tertiles, the risk of CAP substantially increased with ORs (95% CIs) of 1.22 (0.90– 1.65) for the second quartile, 1.70 (1.27– 2.28) for the third quartile, and 1.46 (1.08– 1.98) for the fourth quartile compared to the lowest quartile. Restricted cubic spline revealed that the association gradually strengthened with the increase of the TyG index below 9.56.Conclusion: TyG index was significantly associated with CAP, notably in populations with elevated quartiles of TyG index among railway workers. Monitoring the TyG index could be a useful risk management strategy for CAP in occupation population.Keywords: TyG index, insulin resistance, carotid artery plaque, MAFLD, occupational population

Keywords