Recent mechanistic and epidemiological evidence indicates that conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, coronary heart disease, coronary slow-flow phenomenon, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy share common pathophysiological pathways, most notably insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, lipid metabolism disturbances, and endothelial dysfunction. The gene discussed is INS; the disease is hypertriglyceridemia.