title: Markers of insulin resistance and carotid atherosclerosis. A comparison of the homeostasis model assessment and triglyceride glucose index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present investigation was designed to test the association between carotid atherosclerosis and two simple markers of insulin resistance, i.e. HOMA-Index and TyG-Index.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in two different cohorts. In the first cohort, 330 individuals were enrolled. Blood pressure, lipids, glucose, waist and cigarette smoking were evaluated. HOMA-IR and TyG-Index were calculated as markers of prevalent hepatic and muscular insulin resistance respectively. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by Doppler ultrasonography. The association between cardiovascular risk factors, markers of insulin resistance and carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by multiple logistic regression analyses. In the second cohort, limited to the evaluation of TyG-Index, 1432 subjects were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first cohort, TyG-Index was significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis in a model including age, sex, diabetes, cigarette smoking and LDL cholesterol, while HOMA-IR was not. When components of metabolic syndrome were added to the model as dichotomous variables (absent/present), TyG-Index retained its predictive power. The same result was obtained when the metabolic syndrome was added to the model (absence/presence). The association between TyG-Index and carotid atherosclerosis was confirmed in the second cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that TyG-Index is better associated with carotid atherosclerosis than HOMA-IR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Magna Graecia, University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irace
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carallo
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Scavelli
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: De Franceschi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tripolino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnasso
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides