Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) Index
The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a simple calculation from routine fasting blood tests that estimates insulin resistance.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a simple calculation from routine fasting blood tests that estimates insulin resistance. It combines two standard measurements — fasting triglycerides and fasting blood sugar — into a single number. A higher TyG index suggests the body is not responding well to insulin, and the number typically improves as weight is lost.
Medical
Clinical Definition
The TyG index is calculated as ln(fasting triglycerides in mg/dL × fasting glucose in mg/dL ÷ 2) and is a validated surrogate measure of insulin resistance that correlates closely with the euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp, the reference standard. Elevated TyG values are independently associated with incident type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular events in large prospective cohorts, and the index falls with weight loss and improved metabolic health. It provides a practical, inexpensive alternative to fasting insulin and HOMA-IR when those assays are not available.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
The TyG index helps us track whether a patient's metabolism is genuinely improving — not just the number on the scale. It is a low-cost marker we can follow across the programme.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: September 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
