Key Benefits

• Estimate insulin resistance from routine fasting triglyceride and glucose results.
• Spot early metabolic imbalance that drives prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
• Flag higher heart and metabolic risk linked to hypertension and artery disease.
• Signal fatty liver risk; insulin resistance promotes fatty liver and liver inflammation.
• Protect fertility in polycystic ovary syndrome by identifying insulin resistance affecting ovulation.
• Support pregnancy planning by highlighting gestational diabetes risk alongside standard screening.
• Guide targeted lifestyle goals to lower risk: weight loss, activity, sleep, nutrition.
• Track progress over time to assess response to lifestyle or medications.

What is (Triglyceride - Glucose Index) - TyG Index?

The TyG Index is a calculated score that combines two everyday blood measures—triglycerides and glucose—to capture a snapshot of metabolic health. It does not measure a substance in your body; instead, it is derived from fasting blood levels of fat (triglycerides) produced and circulated by the liver and from sugars (glucose) supplied by the liver and gut. By pairing these two, TyG condenses the balance between energy storage and energy use into a single number.

When body tissues respond well to insulin, fasting glucose stays controlled and the liver releases fewer triglyceride‑rich particles; when responsiveness falters, both tend to drift upward. The TyG Index captures this pattern and is widely used as a practical mirror of reduced insulin action (insulin resistance), particularly in the liver (hepatic insulin resistance). As such, it signals a metabolic setting linked to fat spillover into tissues (lipotoxicity), elevated liver fat (steatosis), and the clustering of cardiometabolic risks often called metabolic syndrome. It therefore reflects the body’s efficiency at handling fuel—how smoothly insulin channels glucose into cells while restraining liver fat output—without directly measuring insulin.

Why is (Triglyceride - Glucose Index) - TyG Index important?

The Triglyceride–Glucose (TyG) Index combines fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose into a single log-based score that captures how well your body moves and stores fuel. Because it reflects insulin action across liver, muscle, and fat tissue, it tracks metabolic flexibility and predicts risks that reach from fatty liver to cardiovascular disease.

In the general population, values often sit in the mid to high 8s. Lower scores within normal fasting ranges tend to be more favorable, while risk rises as the number moves from the high 8s into the 9s and above (cut-points vary by study and by age/sex). Children and teens show higher values during puberty; pregnancy physiologically raises triglycerides, so the index typically runs higher; men often run slightly higher than premenopausal women.

When the index is on the lower side, it usually reflects efficient insulin-mediated glucose uptake, low hepatic VLDL output, and good mitochondrial fuel use—often with no symptoms. Very low values can occur with unusually low glucose or triglycerides (for example undernutrition or certain rare lipid conditions), which may present with shakiness, fatigue, or lightheadedness from hypoglycemia.

Higher values point to insulin resistance: the liver overproduces triglyceride-rich particles, muscle takes up less glucose, and visceral fat releases more free fatty acids. People may notice post-meal sleepiness, central weight gain, elevated blood pressure, or features like polycystic ovary syndrome in women; in youth, it flags future metabolic syndrome; in pregnancy it aligns with gestational diabetes risk.

Big picture, the TyG Index links lipid handling to glucose control. It complements markers like HbA1c, fasting insulin/HOMA-IR, ALT, and apoB, and higher trajectories predict type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and atherosclerotic events over time.

What Insights Will I Get?

The TyG Index combines fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose (log-transformed) to estimate how effectively your body handles fuel under insulin’s direction. It is a validated surrogate of insulin resistance, especially in the liver, linking everyday energy use to longer-term risks in cardiovascular health, liver fat accumulation, metabolism, and inflammation.

Low values usually reflect strong insulin sensitivity with efficiently stored fat and stable fasting glucose. This pattern is common in leaner, younger individuals and premenopausal women. Very low values can also occur with unusually low triglycerides or glucose, including rare genetic hypolipidemias or hypoglycemic states.

Being in range suggests balanced insulin action, normal hepatic VLDL output, and resilient fasting metabolism. This aligns with lower vascular and inflammatory stress, supporting heart, liver, and brain health. For most populations, risk appears lowest toward the lower end of the reference interval.

High values usually reflect insulin resistance with higher fasting glucose and triglycerides from increased hepatic VLDL production and impaired adipose buffering. This state clusters with metabolic syndrome, fatty liver (MASLD), prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. TyG often rises with age and central adiposity; in pregnancy, higher values are associated with gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders; in PCOS, elevations are common.

Notes: Interpretation requires a true fasting sample; recent meals, alcohol, or acute illness can raise results. Glucocorticoids, some antipsychotics, antiretrovirals, diuretics, and estrogens may increase glucose or triglycerides. Pregnancy physiologically elevates triglycerides. Thyroid, kidney, and liver disorders affect values. Calculation formulas and reference limits differ by lab and units, so compare to the lab’s range and consider trends over time.