THE TRIGLYCERIDE-GLUCOSE INDEX IS ASSOCIATED WITH CENTRAL BLOOD PRESSURE PARAMETERS IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS: THE WAKAYAMA STUDY

Objective: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, calculated from serum triglycerides (TG) and fasting blood glucose (FBG), has been recognized as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance and a potential predictor of cardiovascular mortality and incident hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the TyG index and central arterial blood pressure (BP) parameters in middle-aged and older adults. Design and method: The study included 3148 community-dwelling individuals aged 30–74 years (mean age 60 ± 9 years, 44.2% men) with no history of treatment for cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease, renal disease, or peripheral arterial disease. Central arterial BP parameters were estimated using transfer functions derived from brachial artery pressure waveforms recorded with the SphygmoCor XCEL system (AtCor Medical). The TyG index was calculated from fasting venous blood levels of TG and FBG. Results: The mean TyG index of the participants was 8.43 ± 0.57 (range: 6.77–10.85). When participants were stratified into tertiles of the TyG index (<8.17, <8.63, >=8.63), central systolic BP (cSBP: 116.0 mmHg, 122.3 mmHg, 125.4 mmHg), central diastolic BP (cDBP: 77.4 mmHg, 80.4 mmHg, 83.1 mmHg), and central pulse pressure (cPP: 38.6 mmHg, 41.9 mmHg, 42.3 mmHg) increased progressively across tertiles (P for trend < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that the TyG index was independently associated with cSBP (beta = 0.100, P < 0.001), cDBP (beta = 0.110, P < 0.001), and cPP (beta = 0.036, P = 0.036), after adjustment for sex, age, BMI, alcohol consumption, smoking, and antihypertensive medication use. Conclusions: The TyG index, a simple marker of insulin resistance, was significantly associated with cSBP, cDBP, and cPP independent of confounding factors. These findings highlight the potential of the TyG index as an indicator of elevated central arterial BP in middle-aged and older adults.