Association between triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio and a risk of diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hongjing Zhong, Laiming Luo, Xiaomei Wang, Yao Xiao
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the link between the triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched for cohort and case-control studies that reported on the link between TG/HDL-C and a risk of T2DM, with no restrictions on criteria used for the definition and categorization of low and high TG/HDL-C ratios. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included. There was considerable variability in terms of categorization of low or normal and higher TG/HDL-C ratio among the studies. Patients with high TG/HDL-C ratio had markedly higher risk of developing T2DM compared with patients with low or normal TG/HDL-C. Each unit increase in the ratio correlated with the increased risk of diabetes. Subgroup analysis based on sex showed an increased risk of T2DM in males and females with a high ratio compared with the group with a low/normal ratio. CONCLUSION: Higher TG/HDL-C ratio correlates with increased risk of T2DM. Despite limitations, the study demonstrates a possible value of using TG/HDL-C ratio as a biomarker for diabetes risk.