A new study published in Cardiovascular Diabetology reported triglyceride-glucose body mass index (TyG-BMI) as a powerful tool to predict mortality risk in elderly patients battling both severe heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Drawing on data from 4,523 patients in the MIMIC-IV database, researchers have demonstrated that a lower TyG-BMI score is significantly associated with a higher risk of death over short- and long-term intervals.

The TyG index was paired with body mass index (BMI) to create a composite marker reflecting both metabolic and nutritional status. Patients aged above 65 years were divided into four quartiles based on their TyG-BMI scores at ICU admission. Outcomes were assessed at 60, 90, 180, and 365 days.

Patients in the lowest TyG-BMI quartile (Q1) had significantly enhanced mortality compared to those in the highest quartile (Q4) (58.70% vs 48.45% at 90 days). At one year, this gap widened further (80.54% in Q1 versus 73.91% in Q4). These differences held even after adjusting for multiple confounding variables.

The protective benefit of a higher TyG-BMI score was even more pronounced in those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and those without a history of myocardial infarction. TyG-BMI scores below 148.73 and 163.38 were associated with steeper increases in mortality risk at 60 and 365 days, respectively.