TNF and metabolic syndrome: Various inflammatory markers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), have been used to assess atherosclerosis risk and progression, in addition to traditional risk factors, such as cigarette smoking, hypertension (HTN), dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus (DM)5–9.