The Triglyceride-Glucose Index Predicts Coronary Artery Disease Severity and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease worldwide. Several recent studies have shown the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and vascular disease; however, the role of the TyG index in NSTE-ACS has not been extensively assessed. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association of the TyG index with cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in NSTE-ACS. Overall, 438 patients with NSTE-ACS were enrolled to examine the association of the TyG index with the SYNTAX score and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). The TyG index was calculated as ln (fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2). The severity of coronary lesions was quantified by the SYNTAX score. MACEs included cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, congestive heart failure, and nonfatal stroke. All the patients underwent a 12-month follow-up for MACEs after admission. Multivariate regression analysis identified metabolic risk factors as independent parameters correlated with the TyG index. The prevalence of glucose metabolism disorder, metabolic syndrome, and MACEs increased with increasing TyG index. The TyG index showed a strong diagnostic performance for cardiovascular risk factors and was independently associated with the SYNTAX score (OR 6.055, 95% CI 2.915–12.579, P < 0.001). The risk of MACEs (12.8% and 22.8% for the low TyG index and high TyG index groups, respectively; adjusted HR = 1.791, 95% CI 1.045–3.068, P = 0.034) significantly increased in the high TyG index group as compared with the low TyG index group. The multivariate Cox regression analysis further revealed that the TyG index was an independent predictor of MACEs (HR 1.878, 95% CI 1.130–3.121, P = 0.015). In conclusion, the TyG index might be an independent predictor of coronary artery disease severity and cardiovascular outcomes in NSTE-ACS.