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Cholesterol

Forget LDL: Try the Triglyceride Glucose Index

Forget LDL: Try the Triglyceride Glucose Index
ByHealthy Flux Editorial Team
Published 12/22/2025 • Updated 12/30/2025

Summary

A key insight from the video is that pairing fasting triglycerides with fasting glucose can reveal metabolic risk that LDL alone may miss. The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is a simple calculation using two common lab values, and the speaker aims for a score under about 8, with risk rising as it approaches 10. The practical focus is action: lower fasting triglycerides through regular walking, resistance training, a moderate or low carb approach, and avoiding late night ultra processed “crap” that can push triglycerides up. Use the number as a conversation starter with your clinician.

📹 Watch the full video above or read the comprehensive summary below

🎯 Key Takeaways

  • ✓The video’s central claim is that the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index can predict all cause and cardiovascular mortality risk better than focusing on LDL alone.
  • ✓TyG is calculated from two common fasting labs, triglycerides and glucose, which can expose “hidden” metabolic strain even when glucose looks normal.
  • ✓A practical target in the video is TyG under about 8, with concern rising as the value moves toward 10.
  • ✓For many people, fasting triglycerides vary more than fasting glucose, so lowering triglycerides is often the fastest way to improve TyG.
  • ✓The speaker frames metabolic health as three adjustable “knobs,” calories and carbohydrates, exercise, and feeding window, and suggests you can balance them rather than perfect all three.

A simple number that may outperform LDL

About 50% of people who show up with a heart attack or acute coronary syndrome have only “modest” LDL cholesterol.

That single line is the emotional engine of this video. The point is not that LDL is useless. It is that LDL can look “fine” while risk is quietly building.

This perspective argues for a different habit: stop staring at one biomarker in isolation. Start combining related markers to see the bigger metabolic picture.

The star of the discussion is the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a calculation made from two routine fasting labs. The speaker highlights two newer papers linking TyG with all cause mortality and cardiovascular specific mortality, including analyses in people with diabetes under age 65 without known cardiovascular disease, and in broader cardiometabolic risk groups from NHANES.

What the research shows: Recent observational research links a higher triglyceride glucose index with higher mortality risk, including cardiovascular related mortality, in large populations and higher risk subgroups like diabetes and cardiometabolic syndromes (Scientific Reports, 2025Trusted Source, PubMed recordTrusted Source).

The practical takeaway is action oriented. If you can calculate a number today, you can track it over time, and you can use it to guide conversations and habits.

What the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is actually capturing

The core idea is simple: fasting glucose can look normal even when metabolism is not.

The discussion highlights a common scenario. Someone has a fasting glucose in the “normalish” range, but behind the scenes their fasting insulin is very high because the body is compensating.

That compensation can mask early metabolic dysfunction.

By pairing glucose with triglycerides, TyG tries to capture a broader signal of metabolic health. Triglycerides often rise with insulin resistance, higher liver fat, excess refined carbohydrates, excess alcohol for some people, and overall energy surplus. Glucose alone does not always reflect that, especially in a single fasting snapshot.

This is why the speaker likes the ratio. It is not “all about glucose” and it is not “all about triglycerides.” It is about the relationship between them.

Why this framing challenges LDL-only thinking

LDL cholesterol gets most of the attention in standard conversations, and for good reason, it is a major risk marker in many contexts. But the video emphasizes a nuance: the association between LDL and outcomes can look U shaped in some datasets, and in a mid range (roughly 100 to 165 mg/dL in the speaker’s phrasing) the statistical association with all cause mortality and heart disease may be weaker.

So what happens if LDL is in that mid range, but triglycerides are high and glucose is “normal?”

This is where TyG becomes a useful additional lens. It may flag metabolic risk that LDL does not capture well in that moment.

Did you know? In the video’s framing, many metabolically “reasonable” clients sit around 85 to 95 mg/dL fasting glucose, while fasting triglycerides can swing widely. That variability is one reason TyG can change meaningfully even when glucose barely moves.

How to calculate TyG from your lab report

You do not need a special test.

You need two numbers you probably already have: fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose (typically reported in mg/dL in the United States).

The speaker’s method is deliberately low friction. Use an online logarithmic calculator, or ask a tool like ChatGPT, and input:

Take fasting triglycerides (mg/dL)
Multiply by fasting glucose (mg/dL)
Divide by 2
Take the natural log (logarithmic scale)

That is your TyG index.

What number should you look for?

The video offers a clear, memorable target:

Ideally under 8
If it creeps closer to 10, “you have some work to do”

The wording matters. This is not presented as a diagnosis. It is a risk signal, a prompt to tighten up the basics and talk with your clinician, especially if you have diabetes, prediabetes, high triglycerides, fatty liver disease, or a family history of early heart disease.

Important: Lab units matter. If your lab reports glucose or triglycerides in mmol/L (common outside the United States), the calculation changes. If you are unsure, ask your clinician or pharmacist to confirm units before calculating.

Expert Q&A

Q: My fasting glucose is 90 mg/dL, so am I automatically “metabolically healthy?”

A: Not necessarily. A fasting glucose in the normal range can coexist with higher fasting insulin and higher triglycerides, which may point to insulin resistance or other metabolic strain. This is why combining markers, like glucose plus triglycerides in the TyG index, can be a useful conversation starter with your clinician.

Jordan Lee, RD (Registered Dietitian)

Why triglycerides are the lever most people can move

Most people do not swing from 60 mg/dL fasting glucose to 125 mg/dL overnight.

Triglycerides are different.

The speaker repeatedly returns to this practical truth: fasting triglycerides vary widely, and they often respond faster to behavior changes than fasting glucose does.

This matters because the easiest way to pull TyG down is usually to pull triglycerides down.

So what pushes triglycerides up in real life? The video keeps it blunt: eating “a lot of crap before bedtime.” Late night eating, alcohol for some people, and high calorie, high refined carbohydrate patterns can show up as higher morning triglycerides.

A short list of actions the video emphasizes

This is not presented as a medical treatment plan. It is a set of levers that commonly improve triglycerides and overall metabolic health.

Walk regularly. Consistent walking improves how muscles use glucose and fats, and it can lower triglycerides over time, especially when it becomes a daily habit.
Do resistance training, especially compound movements. Strength work adds metabolically active tissue and improves insulin sensitivity. “Compound movements” means exercises that use multiple joints and large muscle groups.
Try a moderate or low carb style diet. The speaker frames this as a straightforward way many people can lower fasting triglycerides.
Avoid heavy late night intake. For many people, the last meal of the day is where ultra processed calories pile up, and morning triglycerides can reflect that.

Pro Tip: If your glucose is normal but your triglycerides are 140 to 160 mg/dL, do not let the “normal glucose” label end the conversation. That pattern is exactly what TyG is meant to make harder to ignore.

The “three knobs” approach to lowering TyG in real life

This is the video’s most unique coaching framework.

You have three knobs you can adjust.

And you do not have to crank all of them down all the time.

The three knobs are:

Calories and carbohydrates. Higher calorie intake and higher refined carbohydrate intake often push triglycerides up, especially if activity is low.
Exercise. More movement gives you more “buffer room,” meaning your body can handle more carbohydrate and energy without the same rise in triglycerides.
Feeding window. Compressing your eating window (time restricted eating) can reduce late night snacking and total intake for some people, and it may improve fasting labs in certain individuals.

The speaker uses a vivid example: you may see CrossFit athletes, bodybuilders, and endurance athletes eat pizza and candy, and still have decent numbers, because their exercise knob is turned way up.

That does not mean ultra processed foods are a good idea for everyone.

It means you should be honest about which knobs you are actually turning.

How to apply the knobs without going extreme

Here is a practical way to use the framework as a weekly plan.

If you do not exercise much: tighten the other two knobs. That usually means a tighter feeding window and more vigilance with calories and carbohydrate quality.
If you exercise consistently: you may have more flexibility, but you still want basics like protein, fiber, and minimally processed foods.
If your schedule is chaotic: focus on the simplest win first, like a daily walk after meals or moving your last meal earlier.

»MORE: If you want to track patterns, create a simple “lab log” note in your phone with date, fasting triglycerides, fasting glucose, TyG estimate, sleep quality, alcohol, and late night eating. Bring it to your next appointment.

Expert Q&A

Q: Is a low carb diet required to improve my TyG index?

A: Not always. Many people lower triglycerides with a mix of regular exercise, fewer ultra processed carbs, adequate fiber, and reduced late night eating, even if they do not go very low carb. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, or take glucose lowering medications, it is especially important to discuss major diet changes with your clinician.

Amina Patel, MD, Preventive Medicine

How to use TyG with your clinician (without obsessing)

Do not treat TyG like a grade on your worth.

Treat it like a flashlight.

The video’s message is that it can take years for newer biomarkers and associations to reach mainstream medicine. If you bring TyG to your appointment, you are not trying to outsmart your doctor. You are trying to ask a better question.

Bring these questions to your next visit

Use TyG as a starting point, then zoom out.

“My fasting glucose is normal but my triglycerides are high, what could be driving that?” This invites a discussion about diet pattern, alcohol, thyroid disease, medications, and insulin resistance.
“Should we also look at other metabolic markers?” Depending on your situation, your clinician might discuss A1C, non-HDL cholesterol, apoB, blood pressure, waist circumference, liver enzymes, or metabolic syndrome criteria.
“Can we repeat fasting labs after I change my habits for 8 to 12 weeks?” Trendlines are often more informative than a single data point.

One more practical note: if your triglycerides are very high (for example, 500 mg/dL or higher), that can be a different level of concern, and it is worth prompt medical follow up.

Key Takeaways

The video’s key insight is that combining fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose into the TyG index may reveal cardiometabolic risk that LDL alone can miss.
A memorable goal from the speaker is TyG under about 8, with risk rising as it approaches 10.
For many people, lowering fasting triglycerides is the most direct way to improve TyG, often through walking, resistance training, and a moderate or low carb eating pattern.
The “three knobs” framework (calories and carbohydrates, exercise, feeding window) encourages flexible, real world habit changes instead of perfection.

Sources & References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index?
The TyG index is a logarithmic calculation that combines fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose from standard blood tests. It is used in research as a marker associated with insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk.
What TyG number is considered good in the video?
The speaker suggests an ideal TyG under about 8. They note that if it rises closer to 10, risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality appears to increase, and it may be a sign to improve metabolic habits and talk with a clinician.
Why might TyG be more informative than LDL for some people?
The video argues that many people who have heart attacks do not have extremely high LDL, and LDL can be less predictive in certain mid ranges. TyG may better reflect underlying metabolic health by combining triglycerides and glucose.
How can I lower my TyG index?
In the video’s approach, the most direct lever is often lowering fasting triglycerides through regular walking, resistance training, avoiding late night ultra processed foods, and using a moderate or low carb pattern if appropriate. If you have diabetes or take glucose lowering medications, discuss major changes with your clinician.
Can I calculate TyG myself from my lab results?
Yes, if you have fasting triglycerides and fasting glucose in mg/dL, you can use an online logarithmic calculator for the formula described in the video. If your lab uses mmol/L, ask a clinician to confirm the correct conversion before calculating.

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