This is in line with epidemiological studies, which were mostly performed in primary- prevention or in community-based settings, and which reported hepcidin to be associated with predictors of cardiovascular disease and very early stage of cardiovascular disease, like arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome, aortic stiffness, or other measures of subclinical atherosclerosis [17,18,19]. Here, HAMP is linked to metabolic syndrome.