Evaluation of Triglyceride-Glucose Index, Insulin Resistance, and Lipid Level in Turkish Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Neslihan Erkal , Yeliz Akpinar Mayir
Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (3) : 46000
This study aimed to elucidate the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C), total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C), and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) indices in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Moreover, we aimed to determine whether the TyG index and traditional lipid parameters could serve as indicators of insulin resistance (IR) in Turkish women.
68 patients diagnosed with PCOS who presented to the gynecology outpatient clinic of our hospital between January 2020 and June 2023 were examined retrospectively. Patients were diagnosed according to the 2003 Rotterdam criteria. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory parameters (glucose, total cholesterol, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1-c), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)) were obtained from hospital records.
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to examine patients’ differential effects on body mass index (BMI), TyG index, TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C values. A HOMA-IR value of ≥2.5 was considered a reference during these calculations. The area under the curve (AUC) and limit values for the other parameters were as follows: the TyG index was 83.8% and >4.41, the TG/HDL-C ratio was 81.7% and >1.44, and the TC/HDL-C ratio was 62.2% and >3.29. BMI and TC/HDL-C demonstrated moderate discriminatory power (AUC 70%–80%), whereas TyG index and TG/HDL-C showed strong discriminatory power (AUC 80%–90%). LDL-C/HDL-C was not statistically significant in predicting IR.
TyG index, TG/HDL-C ratio, and TC/HDL-C ratio may serve as useful indicators of IR in patients with PCOS.
polycystic ovary syndrome / insulin resistance / triglyceride-glucose index
| [1] |
Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, Dokras A, Moran LJ, Piltonen TT, et al. Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2023; 108: 2447–2469. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad463. |
| [2] |
Shrivastava S, Conigliaro RL. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The Medical Clinics of North America. 2023; 107: 227–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2022.10.004. |
| [3] |
Lemaitre M, Christin-Maitre S, Kerlan V. Polycystic ovary syndrome and adipose tissue. Annales D’endocrinologie. 2023; 84: 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ando.2022.11.004. |
| [4] |
Herman R, Sikonja J, Jensterle M, Janez A, Dolzan V. Insulin Metabolism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Secretion, Signaling, and Clearance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023; 24: 3140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043140. |
| [5] |
Kurniawan LB. Triglyceride-Glucose Index As A Biomarker Of Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Mellitus, Metabolic Syndrome, And Cardiovascular Disease: A Review. EJIFCC. 2024; 35: 44–51. |
| [6] |
Chiaffarino F, Cipriani S, Dalmartello M, Ricci E, Esposito G, Fedele F, et al. Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in European countries and USA: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. 2022; 279: 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.10.020. |
| [7] |
Zhao H, Zhang J, Cheng X, Nie X, He B. Insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome across various tissues: an updated review of pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment. Journal of Ovarian Research. 2023; 16: 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-022-01091-0. |
| [8] |
Son DH, Lee HS, Lee YJ, Lee JH, Han JH. Comparison of triglyceride-glucose index and HOMA-IR for predicting prevalence and incidence of metabolic syndrome. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases: NMCD. 2022; 32: 596–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2021.11.017. |
| [9] |
Mi W, Hao YH, Wan MG, Zhang JL, Huang HM, Song CZ, et al. Comparative study of triglyceride glucose index and coronary heart disease risk in middle aged and elderly Chinese and British populations. Scientific Reports. 2025; 15: 22637. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-08133-9. |
| [10] |
Kazemi M, Hadi A, Pierson RA, Lujan ME, Zello GA, Chilibeck PD. Effects of Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load on Cardiometabolic and Reproductive Profiles in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2021; 12: 161–178. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa092. |
| [11] |
Zhang Y, Wang R, Fu X, Song H. Non-insulin-based insulin resistance indexes in predicting severity for coronary artery disease. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome. 2022; 14: 191. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-022-00967-x. |
| [12] |
Raaj I, Thalamati M, Gowda M N V, Rao A. The Role of the Atherogenic Index of Plasma and the Castelli Risk Index I and II in Cardiovascular Disease. Cureus. 2024; 16: e74644. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.74644. |
| [13] |
Matthews DR, Hosker JP, Rudenski AS, Naylor BA, Treacher DF, Turner RC. Homeostasis model assessment: insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in man. Diabetologia. 1985; 28: 412–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280883. |
| [14] |
Park B, Lee HS, Lee YJ. Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index as a predictor of incident type 2 diabetes among nonobese adults: a 12-year longitudinal study of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study cohort. Translational Research: the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine. 2021; 228: 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trsl.2020.08.003. |
| [15] |
Wu TD, Fawzy A, Brigham E, McCormack MC, Rosas I, Villareal DT, et al. Association of Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Lung Health: A Population-Based Study. Chest. 2021; 160: 1026–1034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2021.03.056. |
| [16] |
Yang K, Liu W. Triglyceride and Glucose Index and Sex Differences in Relation to Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Hypertensive Patients Without Diabetes. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2021; 12: 761397. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.761397. |
| [17] |
Yang H, Chen Y, Liu C. Triglyceride-glucose index is associated with metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecological Endocrinology: the Official Journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology. 2023; 39: 2172154. https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2023.2172154. |
| [18] |
Vasques ACJ, Novaes FS, de Oliveira MDS, Souza JRM, Yamanaka A, Pareja JC, et al. TyG index performs better than HOMA in a Brazilian population: a hyperglycemic clamp validated study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2011; 93: e98–e100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2011.05.030. |
| [19] |
Zheng Y, Yin G, Chen F, Lin L, Chen Y. Evaluation of Triglyceride Glucose Index and Homeostasis Model of Insulin Resistance in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. International Journal of Women’s Health. 2022; 14: 1821–1829. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S387942. |
| [20] |
Kheirollahi A, Teimouri M, Karimi M, Vatannejad A, Moradi N, Borumandnia N, et al. Evaluation of lipid ratios and triglyceride-glucose index as risk markers of insulin resistance in Iranian polycystic ovary syndrome women. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2020; 19: 235. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-020-01410-8. |
| [21] |
Lee SH, Kwon HS, Park YM, Ha HS, Jeong SH, Yang HK, et al. Predicting the development of diabetes using the product of triglycerides and glucose: the Chungju Metabolic Disease Cohort (CMC) study. PloS One. 2014; 9: e90430. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090430. |
| [22] |
Ramírez-Vélez R, Pérez-Sousa MÁ González-Ruíz K, Cano-Gutierrez CA, Schmidt-RioValle J, Correa-Rodríguez M, et al. Obesity- and Lipid-Related Parameters in the Identification of Older Adults with a High Risk of Prediabetes According to the American Diabetes Association: An Analysis of the 2015 Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study. Nutrients. 2019; 11: 2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112654. |
| [23] |
Wen J, Wang A, Liu G, Wang M, Zuo Y, Li W, et al. Elevated triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index predicts incidence of Prediabetes: a prospective cohort study in China. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2020; 19: 226. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-020-01401-9. |
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |