Abstract
Introduction: One of the most common cancers in the world is colorectal cancer (CRC). Various studies yielded contradictory findings about the relationship between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and colorectal neoplasm. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between TyG index and colorectal neoplasm through systematic review and meta-analysis.
Materials and Methods: The following databases were searched until January 1, 2025: Cochrane, ProQuest, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Statistical analysis was performed with STATA 14, and P < 0.05 indicated significance of the tests.
Results: Increased TyG index increased the risk of colorectal (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.33), colon (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.19), and rectal (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.32) cancers. Compared to the Q1, the Q2 of TyG index (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.18), the Q3 (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.50) and the Q4 (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.77) increased the risk of CRC (CRC). Similarly, the following increased the risk of CRC: increased TyG index in men (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.45), women (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.36), individuals aged 50 to 59 (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.28), people aged 60 to 69 (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.38), in Korea (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.16), China (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.49), Japan (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1, 1.91), in cohort studies (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.33) and in a case-control study (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.48).
Conclusion: Increased TyG index raised the risk of rectal, colorectal, and colon neoplasms, since men were at higher risk of CRC than women. Our study showed, the higher the TyG index level and the older the participants, resulted in the higher the risk of CRC.
Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42025634667) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1942) websites.