Hamster
Hamsters are important in many research areas, including cancer, reproduction, virology, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Hamsters and humans metabolize fats and sugars in similar ways, leading to susceptibility to atherosclerosis and diabetes. When fed high fat diets, hamsters’ LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) will elevate, as in humans, and lead to atherogenesis, a type of hardening of the arteries which can cause coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms. The physiological similarities of hamsters and humans in both the cardiovascular disease and response to therapies make hamsters a valuable model in these types of studies.