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A cut-off value for endothelial dysfunction based on the triglyceride-glucose index
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  • Published: 14 April 2026

A cut-off value for endothelial dysfunction based on the triglyceride-glucose index

  • Takayuki Yamaji1,2,
  • Farina Mohamad Yusoff2,
  • Shinji Kishimoto2,
  • Masato Kajikawa3,
  • Takahiro Harada2,
  • Aya Mizobuchi2,
  • Shunsuke Tanigawa2,
  • Tatsuya Maruhashi2,
  • Yukiko Nakano4 &
  • …
  • Yukihito Higashi1,2,3 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Risk factors

Abstract

We defined triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index < 8.52 as a low TyG index and TyG index ≥ 8.52 as a high TyG index, and divided the subjects into nine groups based on the levels of TyG index and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels: FBG levels < 90 mg/dL and low TyG index, FBG levels < 90 mg/dL and high TyG index, FBG levels of 90–94 mg/dL and low TyG index, FBG levels of 90–94 mg/dL and high TyG index, FBG levels of 95–99 mg/dL and low TyG index, FBG levels of 95–99 mg/dL and high TyG index, FBG levels of 100–125 mg/dL and low TyG index, FBG levels of 100–125 mg/dL and high TyG index, and diabetes mellitus. The odds ratios for endothelial dysfunction were significantly higher in groups with high TyG index and any levels of FBG, and the group with low TyG index and FBG levels of 95–99 mg/dL, the group with low TyG index and FBG levels of 100–125 mg/dL and the diabetes mellitus group than the FBG levels < 90 mg/dL and low TyG index group. Even at a low TyG index, subjects with FBG levels ≥ 95 mg/dL might have a higher risk for endothelial dysfunction.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to protecting participant confidentiality but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the patients who participated in this study. In addition, we thank Miki Kumiji, Megumi Wakisaka, Ki-ichiro Kawano and Satoko Michiyama for their excellent secretarial assistance; FMD-J investigators Takayuki Hidaka, MD, PhD; Shuji Nakamura, MD, PhD; Junko Soga, MD, PhD; Yuichi Fujii, MD, PhD; Naomi Idei, MD; Noritaka Fujimura, MD, PhD; Shinsuke Mikami, MD, PhD; Yumiko Iwamoto, MD; Akimichi Iwamoto, MD, PhD; Takeshi Matsumoto, MD, PhD; Nozomu Oda, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Kana Kanai, PhD; Haruka Morimoto, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan); Tomohisa Sakashita, MD, PhD; Yoshiki Kudo, MD, PhD (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Taijiro Sueda, MD, PhD (Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan); Akira Yamashina, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan); Bonpei Takase, MD, PhD, FAHA (Division of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Tokorozawa, Japan); Takahide Kohro, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan); Toru Suzuki, MD, PhD (Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK); Tomoko Ishizu, MD, PhD (Cardiovascular Division, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan); Shinichiro Ueda, MD, PhD (Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of the Ryukyu School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan); Tsutomu Yamazaki, MD, PhD (Clinical Research Support Center, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan); Tomoo Furumoto, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan); Kazuomi Kario, MD, PhD (Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan); Teruo Inoue, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan); Shinji Koba, MD, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan); Kentaro Watanabe, MD, PhD (Department of Neurology, Hematology, Metaboism, Endocrinology and Diabetology (DNHMED), Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan); Yasuhiko Takemoto, MD, PhD (Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan); Takuzo Hano, MD, PhD (Department of Medical Education and Population-based Medicine, Postgraduate School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan); Masataka Sata, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan); Yutaka Ishibashi, MD, PhD (Department of General Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, Japan); Koichi Node, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan); Koji Maemura, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan); Yusuke Ohya, MD, PhD (The Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan); Taiji Furukawa, MD, PhD (Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan); Hiroshi Ito, MD, PhD (Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan); and Hisao Ikeda, MD, PhD (Faculty of Fukuoka Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Omuta, Japan).

Funding

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (18590815 and 21590898 to Y.Higashi), a Grant-in-Aid of Japanese Arteriosclerosis Prevention Fund (to Y. Higashi), Hirose Fundation (to T. Yamaji).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Radiation Disaster Medical Science, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Takayuki Yamaji & Yukihito Higashi

  2. Department of Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Takayuki Yamaji, Farina Mohamad Yusoff, Shinji Kishimoto, Takahiro Harada, Aya Mizobuchi, Shunsuke Tanigawa, Tatsuya Maruhashi & Yukihito Higashi

  3. Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan

    Masato Kajikawa & Yukihito Higashi

  4. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan

    Yukiko Nakano

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Contributions

T.Yamaji. and Y.Higashi, drafting the article and conception of the study; T.Yamaji., F.M.Y., S.K., M.K., T.H., A.M., S.T., and T.M. acquiring subjects and/or data; Y.N. revising the article critically for important intellectual content. Y. Higashi is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of data analysis.

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Correspondence to Yukihito Higashi.

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Yamaji, T., Yusoff, F.M., Kishimoto, S. et al. A cut-off value for endothelial dysfunction based on the triglyceride-glucose index. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-48550-y

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  • Received: 07 May 2025

  • Accepted: 08 April 2026

  • Published: 14 April 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-48550-y

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