The hemodynamic changes induced by hypertension lead to endothelial dysfunction, with increased serum levels of inflammation factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and expression of adhesion molecules including intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) further enhancing monocyte/macrophage migration into the vascular wall and promoting atherosclerosis and inflammation, which is further aggravated by other risk factors such as prediabetes (Chapman and Sposito, 2008). Here, TNF is linked to endothelial dysfunction.