Association of triglyceride-glucose index levels with gestational diabetes mellitus in the US pregnant women: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This investigation aimed to assess the correlation between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women in the United States. METHODS: We calculated the TyG index utilizing data from pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) through 1999 to March 2020, and then employed multivariate logistic regression, smoothed curve fitting, and subgroup analysis to investigate the association between the TyG index and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. RESULTS: Logistic regression models revealed a positive association between the TyG index and GDM, remaining significant even after adjusting for all confounding variables (OR=3.43, 95% CI: 1.20-9.85, P = 0.0216). Subgroup analysis demonstrated consistent correlations and showed that there is no difference in the TyG index among first trimester subgroup. The TyG index had limited diagnostic efficacy for GDM (AUC=0.57, 95% CI: 0.50-0.63). CONCLUSION: The TyG index correlates positively with the GDM, however its diagnostic efficacy is limited. Further research on the TyG index as an early predictor of GDM is required.