INS and endothelial dysfunction: As endothelial biomarkers (e.g. sICAM-1 and sE-selectin) were also related to cardiovascular prognosis in initially health individuals [7] it was hypothesized that dysfunctional endothelium represents a shared precursor of atherosclerosis and CVD (if large arteries are affected) as well as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (if endothelial dysfunction addresses capillaries of insulin sensitive tissues) [8,29].