A new study published in the International Dental Journal found that a composite index combining insulin resistance and abdominal obesity measurements, called TyG-ABSI, is significantly associated with increased periodontitis risk, suggesting that patients with metabolic dysfunction should prioritize their gum health.
- The TyG-ABSI index combines measures of insulin resistance and abdominal obesity to predict periodontitis risk.
- Participants with the highest TyG-ABSI levels had a 2.25-fold greater risk of moderate to severe gum disease compared to those with the lowest levels.
- Adults ages 45 to 59 showed the highest risk association with the TyG-ABSI index.
- The study analyzed 4,545 participants from U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collected between 2009 and 2014.
- Hemoglobin A1c and white blood cell count mediated 38.8% and 12.2% of the association between TyG-ABSI and periodontitis, respectively.
Dental patients with metabolic dysfunction and body shape abnormalities should place greater emphasis on maintaining their periodontal health, according to a study recently published in the International Dental Journal.
Furthermore, a newly developed composite index -- triglyceride glucose-a body shape index (TyG-ABSI), which combines measures of insulin resistance and abdominal obesity -- may be associated with an increased risk of periodontitis, the authors wrote.
“This study demonstrates that the novel composite index TyG-ABSI is significantly positively associated with the risk of periodontitis and may serve as a potential indicator for periodontitis risk prediction,” wrote the authors, led by Yuchen Cui of Capital Medical University in China (Int Dent J, July 16, 2026, Vol. 6:5, 109755).
The study examined the relationship between the novel TyG-ABSI index and the risk of periodontitis using both traditional regression analyses and machine-learning models. Researchers used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2009 and 2014, they wrote.
The study included 4,545 adult participants who were divided into two groups based on periodontal health. One group included participants with no or mild periodontitis, while the other included those with moderate or severe gum disease. Using laboratory and physical examination data, the researchers calculated the TyG index and other TyG-related obesity measures.
The TyG-ABSI index was significantly associated with an increased risk of periodontitis, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.193 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.089 to 1.308). Participants in the highest tertile had a 2.25-fold greater risk than those in the lowest tertile (OR = 2.252, 95% CI: 1.428 to 3.55), and the relationship followed a linear dose-response pattern, they wrote.
Additionally, age significantly influenced the association, with adults ages 45 to 59 showing the highest risk (OR = 1.320, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.56). Additionally, hemoglobin A1c and white blood cell count mediated 38.8% and 12.2% of the overall association between TyG-ABSI and periodontitis, respectively.
The study, however, had limitations. The cross-sectional design shows an association between TyG-ABSI and periodontitis, but it does not establish causation, the authors added.
“The application value of this indicator requires further validation in future longitudinal studies,” Cui and colleagues concluded.
