Relationship of triglyceride-glucose index with chronic limb-threatening ischemia in lower extremity peripheral artery disease.

Objectives: Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), which is defined as the simple and novel marker of insulin resistance, is becoming increasingly important as a promising predictive marker for atherosclerotic diseases. Chronic limb-threatening ischemia is defined as the most advanced stage of the lower extremity peripheral artery disease, whose main cause is atherosclerosis and is associated in this respect with amputation, impaired quality of life, and mortality. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between the calculated TyG index values and chronic limb-threatening ischemia development.

Methods: A total of 296 patients who were diagnosed with lower extremity peripheral artery disease in our outpatient clinic between October 2018 and October 2020 were included in this study retrospectively. Two groups were formed by clinically staging the patients according to Rutherford Classification. Patients who did not develop chronic limb-threatening ischemia were classified as "Group 1" ( = 224) and those who developed were classified as "Group 2" ( = 72).

Results: The mean TyG index values that were calculated in Group 2 were significantly higher than in Group 1 (9.27 ± 0.31 vs. 9.00 ± 0.34,  < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis conducted to determine the predictors of chronic limb-threatening ischemia development, C-reactive protein (OR [Odds Ratio]: 1.220, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.092-1.363,  < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR: 0.775, 95% CI: 0.715-0.839,  < 0.001) and TyG index (OR: 5.796, 95% CI: 2.050-16.382,  = 0.001) were identified as independent predictors. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the cut-off value of TyG index was 9.13 (area under the curve: 0.721,  < 0.001) with 70.8% sensitivity and 65.2% specificity. The TyG index was significantly correlated with Rutherford category, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mean platelet volume.

Conclusions: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia development may be predicted with the TyG index value, which is calculated easily from routine biochemical parameters, in patients diagnosed with lower extremity peripheral artery disease.