As ABCG1 is an important regulator of cholesterol efflux from macrophages to HDL (high density lipoprotein) [36], this might have been expected considering that altered lipid levels, obesity and diabetes are associated, as shown in an analysis of serum samples from more than 5,000 men and women participating in the Framingham Heart Study [37]. The gene discussed is ABCG1; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.