Figure 1. The Central Role of Insulin Resistance in Vascular Disease.
Multiple environmental and genetic factors contribute to the formation of the insulin resistance phenotype (aka the “metabolic syndrome”), marked by hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and glucose intolerance. These risk factors in turn contribute to initiation and progression of type 2 diabetes and the macrovascular diseases (i.e. myocardial infarctions, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease).