Associations of triglyceride–glucose-related composite obesity indices with cardiovascular diseases and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a surrogate marker of insulin resistance. TyG-based composite adiposity indices (e.g., TyG-WHtR and TyG-WC) have been used for cardiovascular risk assessment. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized, and differences in risk increments across indices, as well as their dose–response relationships, remain unclear. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science through October 8, 2025, for observational studies evaluating associations of TyG-based composite adiposity indices (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR, TyG-ABSI, and TyG-BRI) with major cardiovascular and mortality outcomes. Random-effects models were used to pool effect estimates from continuous analyses (per 1-SD increase) and categorical comparisons (highest vs lowest quantile). Within each outcome, we additionally synthesized between-index differences in risk increments. In addition, we conducted linear and non-linear dose–response meta-analyses for the primary outcomes. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity and robustness, and publication bias was assessed using Egger’s regression test. A total of 85 studies were included (15 cross-sectional and 70 cohort studies). In continuous analyses, per 1-SD increase, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increased by 17%, 20%, and 19% for TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR, respectively (28 studies), whereas TyG-BRI was not significantly associated with CVD. For stroke (19 studies), the corresponding increases were 18%, 18%, 37%, and 17% for TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR, and TyG-BRI, respectively. For coronary artery disease (CAD) (11 studies), risk increased by 17%, 18%, and 22% per 1-SD for TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR, respectively. For mortality outcomes, per 1-SD increase, cardiovascular mortality increased by 22%, 24%, 32%, and 31% for TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR, and TyG-ABSI (24 studies), and all-cause mortality increased by 5%, 18%, 21%, and 23% (37 studies). In categorical analyses, the highest vs lowest quantile was associated with higher risk for most indices, except that TyG-BMI was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Between-index comparisons suggested slightly greater risk increments for TyG-WHtR and TyG-WC than for TyG-BMI for some outcomes. Dose–response analyses further indicated non-linear increasing associations of TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR with incident CVD and cardiovascular mortality, whereas TyG-BMI showed a U-shaped association with all-cause mortality. TyG-BRI was linearly associated with CVD, and TyG-ABSI was linearly associated with cardiovascular mortality. Region, population type, and sample size were potential sources of heterogeneity. TyG-based composite obesity indices are associated with various cardiovascular outcomes and mortality risk, suggesting they may serve as a supplement to traditional risk assessment for risk stratification and early identification in primary prevention. Future multicenter prospective studies are still needed to further validate their causal associations and generalizability across diverse populations.