Objectives Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a fatal endocrinopathy that begins with insulin resistance (IR) and causes abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance, or systemic disorders. This study was aimed to determine the cut-off values for the triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, the TG glucose (TyG) index and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) for the diagnosis of MS in obese adolescents, and to compare which of the three indexes would offer a more accurate approach to diagnosis. Methods The study population comprised 1,171 obese adolescents (639 females and 532 males aged 10-16 years, Body Mass Index (BMI)>=95th percentile). Indirect measures of IR screening for MS were the TG/HDL ratio, TyG index, and HOMA-IR. The cut-off values of the TG/HDL ratio, TyG index, and HOMA-IR were obtained from receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves. Results HOMA-IR had a significant positive correlation with the TyG index (r=0.352, p<0.001) and TG/HDL-C (r=0.291, p<.001). The TyG index and TG/HDL-C showed a strong positive correlation (r=0.901, p<0.001). The TG/HDL-C ratio showed a larger ROC Area under Curve (AUC=0.849) than HOMA-IR index (AUC=0.689), but as a predictor similar to TyG index (AUC=0.833) when screening for MS. The cut-off values for MS were as follows: TG/HDL-C ratio>2.16 (sensitivity: 88.8%; specificity: 49.7%), TyG index>8.50 (sensitivity: 85.6%; specificity: 57.0%) and HOMA-IR>2.52 (sensitivity: 83.2%; specificity: 40.4%). Conclusions Both the TyG index and TG/HDL-C ratio are better markers than HOMA-IR to determine the risk of metabolic syndrome according to IDF criteria. Besides, the TyG index and TG/HDL-C ratio have similar differentiating powers to determine this risk in obese Turkish adolescents.
Keywords: TG/HDL-C; TyG index; adolescents; insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome.