NPPB and atherosclerosis: Patients with both atherosclerosis and ischemia, together with higher levels of HO-1, have also significantly altered markers of metabolic syndrome (BMI, HOMA, HDL-C, TG/HDL-C), systemic inflammation (IL-6), ischemic vascular and myocardial dysfunction (hs-cTnI and NTproBNP) [42].