The Impact of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index on the Development of Depression in Patients with Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

Background: Depression is common among patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and is a prevalent mental health issue, particularly among those with cardiovascular diseases. Depression is commonly associated with elevated blood glucose and lipid levels. The triglyceride-glucose index is a novel indicator reflecting insulin resistance, which has been proven in numerous studies to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. Purpose: Study on the impact of the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) on the development of depression in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD). Patients and methods: Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 197 CHD patients were classified into a non-depressed group (n = 44, PHQ-9 < 5) and a depressed group (n = 153, PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Fasting blood glucose (GLU), HDL, total cholesterol (TC), LDL, triglycerides (TG), and TyG index were compared between groups. Depression risk factors were identified via logistic regression, and the predictive value of TyG index was evaluated using ROC analysis. Results: In depressed patients, TyG index, TG, TC, LDL, and GLU were significantly higher, while HDL was lower than in the non-depressed group (p < 0.05). Logistic regression identified TyG index, LDL, GLU, TG, TC, HDL, female sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and older age as independent risk factors for depression in CHD patients (p < 0.05). ROC analysis showed the TyG index had an AUC of 0.76 (95% CI 0.687-0.829, p < 0.001) for predicting depression, with a cutoff of 1.613, sensitivity of 45.1%, and specificity of 97.7%. Endpoint events were more frequent in the depression group (χ² = 8.015, p = 0.005). Conclusion: The TyG index is an independent risk factor for depression in patients with CHD, indicating a significant predictive value. Depressed patients have a higher rate of readmission, and managing depression effectively contributes to better prognosis.