Positive association between the ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and diabetes incidence in Korean adults

Background Insulin resistance is associated with the incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction. The ratio of triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (TG/HDL-C ratio) is positively correlated with insulin resistance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio and the incidence of diabetes in Korean adults. Methods This retrospective study used data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort. The TG/HDL-C ratio was divided into three tertiles, the T1, T2, and T3 groups, based on sex. We estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for diabetes using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Results A total of 80,693 subjects aged between 40 and 79 years were enrolled. The median follow-up period was 5.9 years. The estimated cumulative incidence of diabetes in the T1, T2, and T3 groups was 5.94%, 8.23%, and 13.50%, respectively, in men and 4.12%, 4.72%, and 6.85%, respectively, in women. Compared to T1, the fully adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of the T2 and T3 groups for new-onset diabetes were 1.17 (1.06–1.30) and 1.47 (1.34–1.62), respectively, in men and 1.20 (1.02–1.42) and 1.52 (1.30–1.78), respectively, in women. Conclusions Increased TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly associated with a higher risk of new-onset diabetes in both sexes.