TyG index combined with BMI predicts metabolism dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes

Objectives To explore the predictive capacity of the TyG index (triacylglycerol-glucose index) in conjunction with BMI for diagnosing MAFLD among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A retrospective study of 356 consecutive type-2 diabetes patients followed by the Endocrinology Department from May 2022 to May 2024 was studied. Participants were divided into MAFLD and non-MAFLD groups, and the association and predictive accuracy of the TyG index were evaluated using logistic regression and ROC curve analyses. Results Significant variations in the incidence of MAFLD were observed across the quartiles Q1 (TyG<8.98), Q2 (8.98≤TyG<9.36), Q3 (9.36≤TyG<9.94), and Q4 (TyG≥9.94) (p<0.001). The formula log (p)=−22.549+0.385 * BMI + 1.3708 * TyG index illustrated that the TyG index and BMI are predictive of the likelihood of MAFLD in patients with T2DM. Furthermore, the TyG index and BMI were strongly correlated with MAFLD, evidenced by an area under the curve of 0.868 (95 % CI [0.829, 0.907], p<0.001), a sensitivity of 83.0 %, and a specificity of 77.8 %. Conclusions The TyG index is significantly associated with the risk of developing MAFLD in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and its predictive utility is markedly enhanced when BMI is incorporated.