Metabolic Status and Hypertension: The Impact of Insulin Resistance-Related Indices on Blood Pressure Regulation and Hypertension Risk

Background: Diabetes is closely related to hypertension, and insulin resistance-related indices are novel metrics used to evaluate the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to explore the relationships between the TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, and HOMA-IR with hypertension.

Methods: Data from the NHANES spanning ten consecutive survey cycles from 1998 to 2018 were utilized, focusing on adults with complete blood pressure data and comprehensive information for calculating the TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, and HOMA-IR. A multivariable logistic regression model was employed to examine the relationship between insulin resistance indices and hypertension as well as blood pressure levels, while subgroup analyses were conducted to explore potential influencing factors. RCS curves were used to describe both linear and non-linear relationships.

Results: This NHANES-based study included 16,062 adults. Regardless of the adjustment for covariates, significant associations were found between the TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, HOMA-IR and hypertension risk. The ROC curve demonstrated the stability of the TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, and HOMA-IR in predicting hypertension risk. The RCS curves uncovered a linear relationship between the TyG index, METS-IR, and hypertension, whereas TG/HDL-C and HOMA-IR exhibited a non-linear association with hypertension. Subgroup analyses indicated that smoking and diabetes may influence the relationship between insulin resistance-related indices and hypertension.

Conclusion: Elevated levels of the insulin resistance indices TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, and HOMA-IR are closely associated with hypertension risk. These indices can serve as effective markers for monitoring hypertension risk in clinical practice. However, larger-scale prospective cohort studies are needed to validate these findings and further explore the clinical application potential of the TyG index, METS-IR, TG/HDL-C, and HOMA-IR as tools for cardiovascular risk assessment. Such studies will help elucidate the specific causal relationships between these insulin resistance-related indices and hypertension and advance their practical application in clinical settings.