The association between triglyceride-glucose index and hyperferritinemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Purpose To investigate the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and serum ferritin (SF) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 881 T2DM patients were divided into T 1 (TyG index < 1.66), T 2 (1.66 ≤ TyG index < 2.21), and T 3 (TyG index ≥ 2.21) groups according to the tertiles of the TyG index. The differences in SF levels and the prevalence of hyperferritinemia (SF ≥ 300 ng/mL for male or SF ≥ 150 ng/mL for female) were compared. The independent correlations between the TyG index and SF, and between hyperferritinemia and TyG in T2DM patients were analyzed, respectively. Results SF levels in male T2DM patients were higher in the T 3 group (250.12 ng/mL) than in the T 1 and T 2 groups (180.45 and 196.56 ng/mL, both p < 0.01),while in female patients with T2DM,SF levels were higher in the T 3 group (157.25 ng/mL) than in the T 1 group (111.06 ng/mL, p < 0.05).The prevalence of hyperferritinemia in male T2DM patients was higher in the T 3 group (31.3%) than those in the T 1 and T 2 groups (10.4% and 17.3%, both p < 0.05).The TyG index was positively correlated with SF levels in T2DM patients (R = 0.178, p < 0.001).TyG index was independently and positively correlated with SF levels after adjusting for confounders (β = 0.097, 95%CI [2.870,38.148], p = 0.023).The TyG index was positively independently correlated with hyperferritinemia in male T2DM patients (OR = 1.651, 95%CI [1.120,2.432], p = 0.011). Conclusions In parallel with increasing TyG index SF levels gradually increased. The TyG index was positively correlated with SF levels in patients with T2DM and was positively correlated with hyperferritinemia in male T2DM patients.