Association of the triglyceride-glucose index and its derived indices with carotid artery plaques in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to compare the associations of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its obesity-combined derivatives (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR) with carotid artery plaques in a cohort of postmenopausal women. Among 435 postmenopausal women studied, the prevalence of carotid plaques was 36.6% (n = 159). Compared to the non-plaque group, women with plaques were older and had higher triglyceride levels and TyG index (all P < 0.01). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, after full adjustment for confounders including age, LDL-C, and cardiometabolic histories, only the TyG index maintained an independent association with plaque presence (OR = 1.471, 95% CI 1.044–2.073, P = 0.027). In contrast, none of the derivatives (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR) showed significant associations. The TyG index demonstrated a modest predictive value for plaques (AUC = 0.593, P = 0.001), which was superior to its derivatives.