Novel cardiometabolic indices and coronary microvascular dysfunction in intermediate stenosis: the role of AIP and TyG index

Abstract

Abstract Background This study assessed the association between two emerging cardiometabolic indices—the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index—and coronary microcirculation in patients with intermediate stenosis. Methods This cross-sectional study included 566 consecutive patients with intermediate coronary stenosis treated at China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2023 and February 2024. Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) was defined as an angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance (AMR) of ≥ 2.5. The AIP and TyG index were calculated from baseline laboratory data. All participants were categorized into tertiles based on each index. Results A total of 407 patients (71.9%) were diagnosed with CMD. Restricted cubic spline analysis showed a linear association of both AIP and the TyG index with CMD. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that individuals in the highest tertile of each index had a significantly greater odds of CMD than those in the lowest tertile (AIP: odds ratio (OR) = 2.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21–3.31, P = 0.007; TyG index: OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.26–3.53, P = 0.005). Subgroup analyses reveal a more pronounced relationship between AIP and CMD in the nonhypertensive subgroup ( P for interaction = 0.004). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed comparable discriminatory ability between AIP and TyG index (the area under the curve: 0.567 vs. 0.559, DeLong test, P = 0.62). Conclusion In patients with intermediate coronary stenosis, elevated AIP and TyG index were positively associated with CMD. Both indices may serve as potential adjunctive biomarkers for CMD in this population.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2026 · DOI ↗