Health calculators

Insulin Resistance Calculator: HOMA-IR and TyG Index

Calculate two estimates of insulin resistance from fasting blood tests: HOMA-IR, which needs fasting insulin, and the TyG index, which uses triglycerides instead.

Two ways to estimate insulin resistance

HOMA-IR comes from the homeostasis model assessment described in 1985, which was published with a formula for approximate estimation;2 the version used here is fasting insulin (µIU/mL) multiplied by fasting glucose (mmol/L), divided by 22.5.3 In the original study, the HOMA estimate of insulin resistance correlated closely with the euglycaemic clamp, the reference method (Rs = 0.88), and with fasting insulin (Rs = 0.81).1 The TyG index was proposed because the insulin test is expensive and unavailable in many laboratories; it is the natural logarithm of fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) multiplied by fasting glucose (mg/dL), divided by 2.3,4 Against the clamp, TyG correlated at -0.681 with insulin sensitivity, and the correlation was similar in people with and without diabetes (-0.69 and -0.67).5

Why this page does not label your result

HOMA was designed for research, and its developers recommend it for comparing groups in cohort and epidemiological studies.2 There is no single agreed cutoff for an individual result. For TyG, the two early validation studies reported best cutoffs of 4.65 and 4.68,4,5 but values calculated with the formula as written are usually between about 8 and 10, so those cutoffs cannot be applied to the number above. Use the results to track your own trend over time and to discuss with your clinician, not as a diagnosis.

How we check this calculator

The page uses the published formulas exactly, converting glucose at 18.016 mg/dL per mmol/L and triglycerides at 88.54 mg/dL per mmol/L, both from molecular weights (see our lab unit converter). Every time the site is built, an automated test compares our code with an independent implementation across 32 combinations of lab values; the build fails if any result differs.

This calculator is for education. HOMA-IR and TyG are estimates, not diagnoses; your clinician interprets them alongside fasting glucose, HbA1c and your history. Use fasting samples, as the formulas assume.

References

  1. 1Matthews DR, et al. "Homeostasis model assessment: insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in man." Diabetologia. 1985;28(7):412-9. PubMed · DOI
  2. 2Wallace TM, et al. "Use and abuse of HOMA modeling." Diabetes Care. 2004;27(6):1487-95. PubMed · DOI
  3. 3Liang J, et al. "Comparison between Triglyceride Glucose Index and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance in Their Associations with Vascular Dysfunction: Danyang Study." Pulse (Basel). 2025;13(1):166-176. PubMed · DOI
  4. 4Simental-Mendía LE, et al. "The product of fasting glucose and triglycerides as surrogate for identifying insulin resistance in apparently healthy subjects." Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2008;6(4):299-304. PubMed · DOI
  5. 5Guerrero-Romero F, et al. "The product of triglycerides and glucose, a simple measure of insulin sensitivity. Comparison with the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp." J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010;95(7):3347-51. PubMed · DOI