When you configure Visual Assist to display system symbols in italic, use a font whose italic letters are not clipped by the IDE. Courier New and Lucida Console work well.
Visual Studio 2010 and newer
The default font, Consolas, works well in italic, but if you instruct Visual Assist to display local symbols in bold, you might find bold in Consolas indistinct.
The Dina font is another popular option in all IDEs, and works well in italic and bold. Download Dina from Chris Rickard's blog.