Elevated Triglyceride-Glucose Index Tied to Arthritis Development

An elevated triglyceride-glucose index is positively correlated with arthritis development in adults younger than age 60 with normal weight and no diabetes, according to study findings published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease.

The triglyceride-glucose index is a biomarker that can indicate insulin resistance and metabolic complications. Insulin resistance is associated with inflammation, but its connection to arthritis remains unclear. 

Researchers at Soochow University in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China conducted an observational study to assess the relationship between arthritis and an individual’s triglyceride-glucose index. The researchers collected data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an extensive cross-sectional survey of the health and nutritional status of the United States general population conducted between 2007 and 2018.

The researchers excluded data from individuals younger than age 20, pregnant women, and individuals with missing data on arthritis, triglyceride levels, or glucose levels. Individuals self-reported arthritis data through a questionnaire. 

The researchers recruited a total of 14,817 participants with an arthritis incidence of 28.29%, of whom 65.33% were younger than age 60 and 51.18% were women. Compared with men, more women had arthritis.

Of non-Hispanic White participants, a majority had arthritis (51.40%) compared with those without arthritis (37.58%). Individuals with arthritis were more likely to have a higher education level, obesity, and hypertension. Compared with participants without arthritis, those with arthritis also had a higher triglyceride-glucose index. 

The adjusted model of the multivariable logistic analysis revealed a positive correlation between arthritis risk and triglyceride-glucose index (odds ratio [OR], 1.15; 95% CI, 1.07-1.23; P =.0002). 

Subgroup analysis of the relationship between triglyceride-glucose and arthritis showed that sex, hypertension, and vigorous and moderate activity levels remained relatively consistent between groups.

However, the researchers observed an additive effect of other risk factors with the triglyceride-glucose index. Specifically, participants with normal body mass index (BMI; OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.24-1.69), younger than age 60 (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.17-1.41), and without diabetes (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.11-1.31) showed a more pronounced positive association between triglyceride-glucose index and arthritis. 

The researchers reported a saturation effect value relationship between triglyceride-glucose index and arthritis, calculating a more significant positive correlation below a triglyceride-glucose index of 8.08 μmol/L (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.46-2.75; P <.0001). 

Study limitations included a lack of longitudinal follow-up data, medication data, and information regarding other inflammatory markers. 

According to the researchers, “The observed association suggests potential underlying mechanisms that link insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic inflammation to the pathogenesis of arthritis.”

This article originally appeared on Endocrinology Advisor