Background: Insulin resistance (IR) and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). As an important marker for IR, Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) index maybe a significant predictor for HHcy progression, reflecting cardiovascular risk. However, the relationship between TyG index and HHcy has been unknown, especially for the high-risk occupation group of male bus drivers. This longitudinal study was initially conducted to explore the outcome of TyG index in predicting HHcy among male bus drivers.
Methods: In total, 1018 Chinese male bus drivers with Hcy data and regular follow-up from 2017 to 2021 were screened, and 523 non-HHcy subjects at baseline were included in the longitudinal cohort. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) was performed to investigate the possible non-linear relationship between TyG index and the progression of HHcy. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore the association between TyG index and developing HHcy via assessing the value of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: After the median follow up time of 2.12 years, approximately 27.7% of male bus drivers (mean age: 48.1 years) was identified as new incidents HHcy. Multivariate logistic regression found that the higher level of TyG was associated with an increased risk of new onset HHcy (OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.11– 1.94); and the association seemed to be strong among male bus drivers with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P for interaction < 0.05).
Conclusion: As a higher risk occupation group for HHcy, male bus drivers should cause much more attentions from policy makers, employers, and health professionals in China. Identifying male bus drivers with HHcy is of significance at an earlier stage in the primary care setting. Being a significant predictive factor for HHcy, TyG index could be used to monitor and prevent Chinese male bus drivers from HHcy, especially for individuals with elevated LDL-C.
Keywords: hyperhomocysteinemia, insulin resistance, triglyceride-glucose index, longitudinal study, male bus drivers, HHcy, IR, TyG