Predictive role of insulin resistance surrogates in gallstone disease

Several studies have confirmed the association between insulin resistance (IR) surrogates and the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between 4 IR surrogates: triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), triglyceride-glucose index with waist circumference (TyG-WC), triglyceride-glucose index with body mass index (TyG-BMI), and triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and the risk of gallstone disease. This retrospective cross-sectional study involved a total of 19,696 participants who were divided into gallstone and non-gallstone groups based on ultrasound findings. Biochemical parameters and ultrasound results were collected and statistically analyzed. Nonparametric U test, Chi-square test, and subgroup analysis were used to examine the differences in expression of the 4 IR surrogates between the 2 groups. Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to evaluate the relationships and predictive ability of the 4 surrogates for gallstone disease. The levels of the 4 surrogates of IR were significantly higher in individuals with gallstone disease (GSD) compared to those without GSD (P < .001). After adjusting for age, gender, and personal medical history, TyG-WC and TyG-BMI emerged as significant predictors of gallstones in both genders. The predictive ability of these IR surrogates was stronger for gallstone disease in females than in males. In females, the area under the curve for TyG-WC and TyG-BMI were 0.683 and 0.629, respectively, while for males, these values were 0.544 and 0.528. When age was included with TyG-WC and TyG-BMI to predict GSD, the area under the curve values increased to 0.734 and 0.733 for females, and 0.684 and 0.682 for males. The study found that TyG-WC and TyG-BMI were identified as independent risk factors for the prevalence of GSD. Additionally, combined with age, TyG-WC and TyG-BMI showed good predictive value for the prevalence of GSD in females.