VEGFA and cardiovascular disorder: Other studies have also reported inconsistent findings: in obese postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of moderate-intensity walking failed to increase VEGF levels [17]; in patients with cardiovascular disease, however, exercise-induced mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), likely mediated by VEGF, was markedly greater than in healthy individuals, indicating that populations with metabolic abnormalities may be more responsive to VEGF-modulating exercise interventions [18].