In this light, our data suggest either current antidiabetic therapy in diabetes mellitus protecting against HO-1 protein decrease or HO-1 providing a protective response, as plasma HO-1 levels are higher in patients with carotid plaques compared to healthy subjects, which probably indicates a possible protective response against carotid atherosclerosis, here against diabetic vasculopathy [44]. The gene discussed is HMOX1; the disease is carotid atherosclerosis.