INS and rheumatoid arthritis: In untreated patients with early-stage RA, significant positive concentrations have been observed between visfatin and biochemical markers of severe metabolic disturbance (insulin and insulin resistance, total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides), although other studies have failed to find an association between visfatin concentrations and coronary artery calcification scores in RA, between visfatin concentrations and carotid artery IMT, or any relationship between NAMPT polymorphisms, disease susceptibility and cardiovascular risk in RA [90].