Deans' stroke musings: Combined value of triglyceride-glucose index and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in predicting early cognitive impairment after acute ischemic stroke

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Combined value of triglyceride-glucose index and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in predicting early cognitive impairment after acute ischemic stroke

You're supposed to solve problems, NOT just predict them you blithering idiots. Hoping comeuppance hits you really hard when you are the 1 in 4 per WHO that has a stroke!

Combined value of triglyceride-glucose index and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in predicting early cognitive impairment after acute ischemic stroke

Jingwen Xu
S
Shanyao Zhu *
T
Ting Wang
W
Wanxin Lu

Department of Internal Medicine-Neurology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China

Abstract

Background:

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) represents a significant global cause of mortality and long-term disability. Cognitive impairment frequently occurs among AIS patients, adversely affecting their functional outcomes. Identifying modifiable risk factors linked to cognitive dysfunction after stroke is thus critical for effective prevention and targeted therapeutic interventions.

Objective:

This study explored the relationship between serum triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels and early cognitive impairment in AIS patients.

Methods:

The Neurology Department of Anhui Medical University’s Fourth Affiliated Hospital recruited a total of 235 individuals diagnosed with AIS between September 2023 and January 2025. Patients served as a cognitive impairment group (n = 135) and a control group (n = 100). Furthermore, participants were dichotomized according to diabetic status, and the predictive value of the TyG index and non-HDL cholesterol for cognitive impairment following acute ischemic stroke was evaluated in these subgroups. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to evaluate cognitive ability at seven days post-stroke; a score below 26 indicated impairment. After identifying independent risk variables for cognitive impairment using logistic regression analysis, the diagnostic value of these factors was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results:

The cognitive impairment group exhibited significantly elevated TyG index and non-HDL-C serum levels (p < 0.001). Patients with cognitive impairment were older, had less educational attainment, higher NIHSS scores, and reduced MoCA scores (p < 0.05). Additionally, glycemic indicators (FPG, HbA1c, TyG index) and lipid markers (TC, non-HDL-C, LDL-C, TG) were markedly elevated, while HDL-C was reduced among cognitively impaired individuals (p < 0.05). Patients in the high-TyG group displayed substantially increased glycemic parameters, lipid profiles, and higher diabetes prevalence (p < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression revealed each unit rise in TyG index and non-HDL-C (all p < 0.05) significantly elevated the risk of cognitive impairment. Both parameters negatively correlated with MoCA scores (both p < 0.001). The rise in non-HDL-C levels correlated with the increase in the TyG index (p < 0.001), which may indicate that both factors act in a coordinated manner within shared metabolic pathways. The combined predictive model incorporating both TyG index and non-HDL-C exhibited superior diagnostic performance (p < 0.001). Regardless of diabetic status, both the TyG index and non-HDL-C demonstrated significant predictive value for post-AIS cognitive impairment. Their combination provided incremental predictive information beyond either marker alone (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Elevated serum levels of TyG index and non-HDL-C independently predict early cognitive impairment in AIS patients, with their combination significantly improving predictive accuracy. These results suggest potential benefits from early metabolic interventions to enhance cognitive recovery post-stroke.