Effect of insulin in the induction and regression of atherosclerosis in the chick.

DURING the last 3 decades-the insulin era in the treatment of diabetes mellitus —atherosclerotic vascular complications have become the major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic pexsons, doubtless due, in part, to their increased life span with insulin therapy. Diabetics, as a group, undoubtedly have an increased susceptibility to atherosclerotic disease.The causative and pathogenetic factors responsible for this phenomenon remain obscure. In view of this problem, experiments were undertaken to explore the effects of exogenous insulin on coronary and aorta atherogenesis in intact chicks.