Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is important for the development of atherosclerosis in rodents exposed to CIH (Fang et al., 2012; Song et al., 2018), and HIF-1 also may play a role in the development of CIH-induced atherosclerosis (Drager et al., 2013; Zhou et al., 2014). Here, HIF1A is linked to atherosclerosis.