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In a Mexican study of 748 apparently healthy adults, 32.2% had insulin resistance. The researchers looked at whether the TyG index could help recognise those people.[1]
On this page you can read what the TyG index is, what the guidelines say about a value that is too low or too high, what affects your value and which values are best to compare it with.
Also known as: triglyceride-glucose index, TyG. At the lab: n/a.
The TyG index is the product of two values from your blood: your fasting triglycerides and your fasting glucose. So your blood is taken while you are fasting.[1]
Researchers compared the index with HOMA-IR, a well-known measure of insulin resistance. The study writes the value with Ln in front, as in Ln 4.65.[1]
An insulin test is expensive. Many laboratories in less developed countries do not offer it. That is why researchers looked for a simpler measure.[1]
Most labs measure triglycerides and glucose. The study concludes that the TyG index can be useful for recognising insulin resistance in apparently healthy people.[1]
The index is not a perfect test. At the best cut-off, the sensitivity was 84.0% and the specificity 45.0%.[1]
| Level | Can point to | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Ln 4.65[1] | Best cut-off in this study for recognising insulin resistance | Apparently healthy adults aged 18 to 65 |
| A positive test at this cut-off[1] | Can point to insulin resistance; positive predictive value 81.1% | Apparently healthy adults aged 18 to 65 |
| A negative test at this cut-off[1] | Negative predictive value 84.8% | Apparently healthy adults aged 18 to 65 |
Source: Simental-Mendía et al., 2008. Research in Mexico among apparently healthy men and non-pregnant women aged 18 to 65.[1]
A positive test at the cut-off Ln 4.65 can point to insulin resistance. In the study, the chance of this with a positive test was 60.5%. Some people without insulin resistance also tested positive, because the specificity was 45.0%.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
The index is built on your fasting triglycerides. If that value changes, your TyG index changes with it.[1]
The second part is your fasting glucose. This value also pushes the index up or down.[1]
The study used fasting values. So the cut-off assumes blood taken while you are fasting.[1]
The TyG index is included in BioProfile 77, 87, 121 and 150.[2]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 25 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 25 October 2026. Every number on this page comes from one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to review this page. Once that review is done, the expert's name and the date of the review will appear at the top. This page explains. It does not give a diagnosis. Discuss a value outside the normal range with your GP.
