BackgroundThe triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index has been linked to various cardiovascular diseases. However, it's still unclear whether the TyG index is associated with arterial stiffness and coronary artery calcification (CAC).MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies until September 2022 in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. We used a random-effects model to calculate the pooled effect estimate and the robust error meta-regression method to summarize the exposure-effect relationship.ResultsTwenty-six observational studies involving 87,307 participants were included. In the category analysis, the TyG index was associated with the risk of arterial stiffness (odds ratio [OR]: 1.83; 95% CI 1.55–2.17, I2= 68%) and CAC (OR: 1.66; 95% CI 1.51–1.82, I2= 0). The per 1-unit increment in the TyG index was also associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness (OR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.35–1.69, I2= 82%) and CAC (OR: 1.73, 95% CI 1.36–2.20, I2= 51%). Moreover, a higher TyG index was shown to be a risk factor for the progression of CAC (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.21–2.27, I2= 0, in category analysis, OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.29–1.68, I2= 41% in continuity analysis). There was a positive nonlinear association between the TyG index and the risk of arterial stiffness (Pnonlinearity< 0.001).ConclusionAn elevated TyG index is associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness and CAC. Prospective studies are needed to assess causality.Graphical AbstractSupplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12933-023-01819-2.