The TyG index cutoff point and its association with body adiposity and lifestyle in children

Objective: To investigate the factors associated with insulin resistance in children aged 4-7 years, and to identify the cutoff point of the triglyceride-glucose index for the prediction of insulin resistance in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 403 children from a retrospective cohort. Insulin resistance was also evaluated in a sub-sample using the HOMA index. Four indicators of body adiposity were assessed: body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, and the percentages of total and central body fat. Food habits were evaluated by the identification of dietary patterns, using principal component analysis. Information was also collected on lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and breastfeeding time. Results: The median index observed in the sample was 7.77, which did not differ between the genders. The shorter the time spent in active activities, the higher the triglyceride-glucose value; and increase in the values of body adiposity indicators was positively associated with triglyceride-glucose. The cutoff point with the best balance between sensitivity and specificity values was 7.88 (AUC =0.63, 95% CI: 0.51-0.74). Conclusion: The present study identified that total and central body adiposity and shorter time spent in lively activities was positively associated with insulin resistance, evaluated through the triglyceride-glucose index. The cutoff point of 7.88 may be used in this population for insulin resistance risk screening, but caution is required when using it in other populations. (C) 2019 Sociedade Brasiteira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.