Although both animal models had peripheral insulin resistance, HFHSD fed mice were resistant to developing hyperglycemia due to effective compensatory β cell hyperplasia, which is associated with increased VEGF-A expression and islet vasculature; whereas, db/db mice developed severe diabetes due to insufficient β cell hyperplasia which is accounted for by unchanged or decreased VEGF-A expression and islet vasculature (Fig. 6). Here, VEGFA is linked to diabetes mellitus.