Increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, PVD, non–insulin‐treated DM, and neurologic dysfunction and the fact that a significant proportion of the BITA patients were operated in this early era (before introduction of epiaortic ultrasound and preoperative computed tomography angiography for routine use, and before popularization of the aortic no‐touch off‐pump coronary artery bypass technique) can also explain the relatively high occurrence of strokes. The gene discussed is INS; the disease is Stroke.