Association between triglyceride-glucose index and depression in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension: insights from the CHARLS study

Depression is a common comorbidity in hypertensive patients, but its metabolic predictors remain underexplored. This study investigates the association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and depression risk in hypertensive individuals aged ≥ 45 years. Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we analyzed 3549 participants, categorizing TyG levels into quartiles and defining depression based on a score of ≥ 12 on the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Logistic regression indicated that participants in the highest TyG quartile had a significantly higher risk of depression (odds ratio [OR]: 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-2.51, P < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear dose-response relationship. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the TyG index was a more accurate predictor of depression risk compared to individual triglyceride and glucose measures. These findings suggest that elevated TyG levels are associated with an increased risk of depression in hypertensive middle-aged and older adults, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for identifying high-risk individuals.