Higher TyG index associated with increased hyperuricemia prevalence in metabolically healthy participantsCan a simple blood sugar and fat marker predict higher uric acid levels in healthy people?

Frontiers in Medicine Published April 19, 2026 DOI ↗ Editorial oversight: Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

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Key Takeaway

Consider that a higher TyG index is associated with increased hyperuricemia prevalence in metabolically healthy individuals.

This was a cross-sectional study of 1,181 apparently healthy participants with zero components of metabolic syndrome (metabolically healthy). The study examined the association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4), and the primary outcome of hyperuricemia (HUA).

The main result showed that the prevalence of hyperuricemia increased significantly across the TyG quartiles. Absolute prevalence numbers were reported as 4.01% in Q1 and 11.50% in Q4. The P for trend was <0.05, indicating a statistically significant positive association.

Safety and tolerability were not reported, as no medications or interventions were involved. Key limitations include the observational, cross-sectional design, which cannot establish causation, and the focus on a metabolically healthy cohort, which may limit generalizability.

The practice relevance was not reported. The evidence is from a cross-sectional study, and findings should be interpreted as an association, not a causal relationship, in this specific population.

If you're healthy now, you still might want to know what could raise your risk of high uric acid, which can lead to gout and kidney issues down the road. Researchers looked at a simple blood marker called the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, which combines sugar and fat levels, in 1,181 adults who had no signs of metabolic syndrome. They found that the prevalence of hyperuricemia rose significantly across four groups, from about 4% in the lowest group to about 11.5% in the highest group. This was an observational cross-sectional study, so it only shows an association, not that the TyG index causes high uric acid. The study didn't report any safety issues, since it didn't involve an intervention. Because it only included metabolically healthy people, the findings may not apply to everyone. The result doesn't prove cause and effect, and it doesn't tell us what will happen to people's health over time.

What this means for you:

A higher TyG index was linked to more hyperuricemia in healthy adults, but this study shows association, not cause.

Study Details

Study typeCohort

EvidenceLevel 3

PublishedApr 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and hyperuricemia (HUA) in an apparently healthy population, specifically defined as individuals presenting with zero components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. Unlike previous studies on general populations, this study focuses on a “metabolically clean” cohort to explore the early predictive value of the TyG index.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1,181 metabolically healthy participants who did not meet even a single criterion for MetS (median age of 38.00 years; interquartile range: 33.00 - 47.00 years). Participants were stratified by TyG index quartiles (Q1-Q4). Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between the TyG index (as both a continuous and categorical variable) and HUA. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of this association across various clinical strata, and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to characterize dose-response relationships.ResultsThe prevalence of HUA increased significantly across TyG quartiles (Q1: 4.01%; Q4: 11.50%, P for trend

Higher TyG index associated with increased hyperuricemia prevalence in metabolically healthy participantsCan a simple blood sugar and fat marker predict higher uric acid levels in healthy people?

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Higher TyG index associated with increased hyperuricemia prevalence in metabolically healthy participantsCan a simple blood sugar and fat marker predict higher uric acid levels in healthy people?

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