KBB-Forum 2026 , Cilt 25, Sayı 3

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SLEEP PARAMETERS AND THE TRIGLYCERIDE-GLUCOSE INDEX IN PEDIATRIC OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME

İbrahim ARSLAN; 1, MD Mesut GÜNEŞ; 1, MD Ahmet HARPER; 1, MD Ahmet ULUAT; 1, MD Ömer Tarık SELÇUK; 1, MD
1Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat, Antalya, Türkiye Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between polysomnography (PSG)-derived sleep parameters and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Although the TyG index is a simple surrogate marker of insulin resistance, its relationship with PSG findings in pediatric OSAS remains unclear.

Methods: In this retrospective study, clinical, biochemical, and polysomnographic data from 52 pediatric patients with OSAS who underwent overnight PSG between January 2020 and January 2025 were analyzed. The TyG index was calculated using fasting triglyceride and glucose levels. Associations between the TyG index and PSG parameters were evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis and multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).

Results: The TyG index showed weak but statistically significant positive correlations with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; r = 0.320, p = 0.021) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI; r = 0.308, p = 0.026), and a weak negative correlation with minimum oxygen saturation (r = −0.308, p = 0.027). The TyG index was significantly higher in children with severe OSAS than in those with moderate OSAS (p = 0.018). After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, the TyG index was not independently associated with AHI, ODI, or minimum oxygen saturation, and no significant associations were observed with the remaining PSG parameters.

Conclusion: In pediatric OSAS, the TyG index was associated with apnea severity and hypoxia indicators in unadjusted analyses. However, these associations were not independent after adjustment for potential confounding factors. The TyG index may serve as a complementary metabolic marker, although its independent clinical value requires confirmation in larger prospective studies. Keywords : Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, triglyceride-glucose index, insulin resistance, hypoxia, cardiovascular risk, polysomnography