The metabolic disturbances of diabetes together with hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension alter the endocrine homeostasis of the vascular wall with a shift in balance of regulatory systems such as nitric oxide (NO)/reactive oxygen species (ROS), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF)/VEGF-R, and angiopoietin/tie-2. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is diabetes mellitus.