TyG index (triglyceride-glucose index)

The TyG index is a quick stand-in for insulin resistance. You calculate it as ln(fasting triglycerides [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL] ÷ 2). Simental-Mendía et al. proposed it in 2008. It approximates the gold-standard clamp test, but without an insulin assay. The index reflects poor triglyceride clearance and too much sugar output from the liver, both signs of insulin resistance in fat and liver tissue. Insulin resistance speeds up artery disease, builds belly fat, and wears out insulin-making β-cells. Higher TyG values track with markers of biological aging. A 2022 meta-analysis (12 cohorts, about 6.4 million people) found the top TyG quartile carried roughly double the coronary artery disease risk (HR 2.01; 95% CI 1.68 to 2.40) and 46% higher overall heart-disease risk; the death links were weaker and mixed. A 2023 Swedish analysis (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, Malmö Preventive Project) found rising TyG predicted stiffer arteries, a 3.3-fold jump in diabetes (top vs bottom quartile), and higher all-cause (HR 1.22) and heart death (HR 1.37). All of this is observational. No trial has yet tested treating people based on TyG, and the index works best in non-diabetic, insulin-naïve people.

Last reviewed: June 22, 2026

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