Association between higher triglyceride glucose index and increased risk of osteoarthritis: data from NHANES 2015–2020

Abstract Background The relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine potential associations between an elevated TyG index and an increased risk of OA prevalence. Methods 3,921 participants with OA from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2020) were included in this study. Participants were categorized into quartiles based on TyG index, which was determined using the formula: Ln triglyceride (mg/dL) fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2. Weighted multivariable regression, subgroup analyses, and threshold effect analyses were performed to calculate the independent association between TyG index and OA. Results A total of 25,514 people were enrolled, with a mean TyG index of 8.48 ± 0.65. The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis after full adjustment showed a significant association between higher TyG index values and an increased risk of OA. Specifically, each incremental unit increase in the TyG index was associated with a 634% higher risk of OA OR = 7.34; 95% CI: 2.25, 23.93; p = 0.0010. Based on interaction tests, age, gender, BMI, and smoking status did not significantly affect the relationship between the TyG index and OA, while diabetes showed a stronger positive correlation between the TyG index and OA. Conclusion An increased risk of OA was associated with a higher TyG index. TyG could be a valuable predictor of OA and offer novel perspectives on the assessment and treatment of OA.