NAMPT and atherosclerosis: Although the biological mechanisms involving visfatin in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis are not well-established, visfatin seems to be an active factor in the development and progression of atherosclerosis through its effects on cytokine and chemokine secretion, macrophage survival, leukocyte recruitment by endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle inflammation and plaque destabilization [19, 23].