Triglyceride-Glucose Index and the Prognosis of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

A higher triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been related to an increased incidence of stroke in community population. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association between TyG index and prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS). Observational studies, which evaluated the influence of TyG index on functional outcome and mortality in patients with acute IS were retrieved by search the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases from inception to February 20, 2022. Two authors independently collected the data of study characteristics and outcomes. A random-effect model was used to pool the results via incorporating the influence of possible between-study heterogeneity. Eight cohort studies involving 34 076 patients with acute IS contributed to the study. Pooled results showed that a higher TyG index was independently associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.19-2.15, p=0.002; I2=78%) and poor functional outcome (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.11-1.69, p=0.004; I2=71%). Further sensitivity analyses by excluding one cohort study at a time showed consistent results (p all<0.05). Subgroup analyses showed similar results in prospective and retrospective cohort studies, in non-diabetic and diabetic patients, and in studies with follow-up durations within 3 months and of 12 months (p for subgroup analyses all>0.05). In conclusion, higher TyG index is a predictor of all-cause mortality and poor functional outcome in patients with acute IS, and TyG index may be useful for prognostic evaluation in these patients.