VEGFA and myocardial infarction: Malfitano et al. (78) showed that hyperglycaemia decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, increased cell survival factors (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor), and reduced apoptosis in the rat myocardial infarction model, thereby improving systolic myocardial function and reducing the size of the myocardial infarction.