Increased glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) expression in VSMCs promoted VSMC phenotype switching, monocyte recruitment and atherosclerosis through increased glycolysis and the polyol pathway in vascular stenosis and metabolic disease models (Adhikari et al. 2011; Hall et al. 2001; Kaiser et al. 1993; Peiró et al. 2016; Vesely et al. 2009; Wall et al. 2018). Here, SLC2A1 is linked to atherosclerosis.