NOS3 and endothelial dysfunction: We examined the effects of epigenetic changes on miRNA 126, 305, and 217 expression and the frequency of the SNPs of genes encoding inflammatory molecules (e.g., IL-6 and TNF-alpha) and their correlations with serum levels of proangiogenic molecules (e.g., ENOS, VEGF and HIF-1alpha) and several adipokines as well as with endothelial dysfunction, assessed noninvasively by reactive hyperaemia peripheral artery tonometry.