JOMPAC
Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care

Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care (JOMPAC) is an open access scientific journal with independent, unbiased, and double-blind review under international guidelines. The purpose of JOMPAC is to contribute to the literature by publishing articles on health sciences and medicine.

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Original Article
Evaluating the triglyceride glucose index as a novel method for assessing insulin resistance in Turkish women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Abstract
Aims: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, characterized by insulin resistance (IR), hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovary morphology. IR is a significant contributor to the pathogenesis and long-term complications of PCOS, but current gold-standard methods for assessing IR are often impractical for routine clinical use. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index in identifying IR among Turkish women with PCOS and to assess its variability across different PCOS phenotypes.
Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 247 patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the 2003 Rotterdam criteria. IR was assessed using both the TyG index and HOMA-IR. The study analyzed demographic and clinical data, including fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and various metabolic parameters. ROC curve analysis was used to determine the optimal TyG index cutoff for detecting IR.
Results: The mean age of participants was 24.09±5.53 years, with a mean BMI of 28.12±6.38 kg/m². The study identified a mean HOMA-IR of 3.46±1.82 and a mean TyG index of 4.51±0.26. A significant positive correlation was found between HOMA-IR and the TyG index (r=0.370, p<0.001). The optimal TyG index cutoff for detecting IR was 4.44, with a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 60% (AUC=0.693, p=0.035). The TyG index effectively identified IR across different PCOS phenotypes, though HOMA-IR revealed significant differences between some phenotypes.
Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of the TyG index for predicting IR in Turkish women with PCOS and to explore its variability among phenotypes. The TyG index, based on fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride levels, offers a practical, cost-effective alternative to traditional methods for evaluating IR in PCOS.

Keywords : Triglyceride glucose index, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

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Article available in :
Volume 6, Issue 1, 2025
Page : 33-38
https://doi.org/10.47582/jompac.1601449
Article Information
Received : 14 Ara 2024
Accepted : 21 Oca 2025
Published : 14 Şub 2025
Corresponding Author :

Burçak Cavnar Helvacı: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Canvar Helvacı B, Hepşen S, Candemir B, Çakal E. Evaluating the triglyceride glucose index as a novel method for assessing insulin resistance in Turkish women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Med Palliat Care. 2025;6(1):33-38.

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