CETP and atherosclerosis: To confirm that the vascular phenotype in the E3L.CETP mice occurred prior to atherosclerosis, we also scrupulously analysed the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic roots and the brachiocephalic artery in the E3L.CETP mice used here for vascular studies as well as in older E3L.CETP mice to fully confirm that our results refer to pre-atherosclerotic phase of vascular ageing in humanised dyslipidaemic E3L.CETP mice.