Relationship between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Disease Activity and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Case Report
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), insulin resistance (IR) is related to inflammatory markers, disease activity, and progression of atherosclerotic changes. Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a relatively new indicator of IR./r/nThe present study aimed to investigate the relationship between TyG index, disease activity and subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in RA patients./r/nThe present case-control study included 100 RA patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants were subjected to careful history taking through clinical examination and standard laboratory assessment. The TyG index was calculated as TyG index = ln (Fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL))/2. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurement was done using B-mode ultrasound./r/nPatients had significantly higher TyG index as compared to controls. Patients with high disease activity had significantly higher frequency of extraarticular manifestations (39.6% 51.6%, p = 0.028), higher Larsen score (3.8 ± 1.3 2.8 ± 1.2, < 0.001), higher anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) levels (median (IQR): 243.1 (205.0-408.0) U/ml 99.0 (78.0-332.5), < 0.001), higher TyG index (4.8 ± 0.22 4.67 ± 0.24, = 0.006), and higher CIMT (0.87 ± 0.22 0.77 ± 0.17 mm, = 0.018). Patients with SCA had higher BMI (34.6 ± 6.2 30.5 ± 5.3 Kg/m, < 0.001), higher Larsen score (3.7 ± 1.4 3.1 ± 1.3, = 0.028) and higher TyG index (4.89 ± 0.23 4.64 ± 0.19, < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis identified patients’ age (OR (95% CI): 0.94 (0.89-0.99), = 0.018), Larsen score (OR (95% CI): 1.93 (1.32-2.82), p = <0.001), anti-CCP (OR (95%): 1.04 (1.02-1.07), = 0.032), and TyG index (OR (95% CI): 22.67 (2.14-240.4), = 0.01) as significant predictors of high disease activity in multivariate analysis./r/nIR estimated by the TyG index is related to disease activity and SCA in RA patients.
