RBP4 and atherosclerosis: RBP4 is an adipokine whose main function is retinol transport, but its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now widely known: it correlates with increased thickness of the carotid intima-media complex, early onset of cardiovascular disease [Li et al., 2019 RBP4 is thought to mediate insulin-induced VSMC proliferation and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (Li et al., 2014).