Furthermore, in the ApoE-deficient mouse (one of the parent strains of our MetS mouse model), which displays high cholesterol and a predisposition for atherosclerosis but not a pre-diabetic phenotype, walnuts added to a high-fat diet lowered plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and prothrombin compared to high-fat diet alone [36]. The gene discussed is APOE; the disease is atherosclerosis.