Leptin has been shown to cause endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation of the peripheral arteries of experimental animals.25 Leptin has also been shown to exert an endothelium-independent vasodilatory action in humans with coronary artery disease.26 Therefore, in addition to its central role in the regulation of energy balance and metabolism, leptin has direct effects on the blood vessels (atherogenic, thrombotic and angiogenic) of both coronary and cerebral arteries, potentially contributing to the progression of atherosclerosis in the coronary vessels.27-29. This evidence concerns the gene LEP and atherosclerosis.