Free Radicals and Antioxidants in Cardiovascular Health and Disease

Abstract

Current hypotheses favour the concept that lowering oxidative stress can have a health benefit. Free radicals can be overproduced or the natural antioxidant system defenses weakened, first resulting in oxidative stress, and then leading to oxidative injury and disease. Cardiovascular disease is one example of this process. This disorder continues to be the major cause of premature death worldwide. Oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins is considered an early step in the progression and eventual development of atherosclerosis, one of the leading causes to cardiovascular dysfunction. Compelling support for the involvement of free radicals in disease development originates from epidemiological studies showing that an enhanced antioxidant status is associated with reduced risk of several diseases. Dietary nutraceuticals such as vitamins C, E and polyphenolics and reduction of cardiovascular disease incidence are a notable example. This paper reviews the biology of ROS/RNS, their pathways through which they relate to the pathology of cardiovascular disease and discusses the putative roles that antioxidants, including phenolics, may play in controlling oxidative stress and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Reconvene and Reconnect the Antioxidant Hypothesis in Human Health and Disease

“…Since FR were accused as causal factors in a large number of diseases, these were sometimes referred as ''Free Radical Diseases''. Some of the important diseases and health issues in this category are cancer [61][62][63][64][65][66][67], cardiovascular diseases [68][69][70][71][72][73], atherosclerosis [74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81], neurological disorders [82][83][84][85][86], renal disorders [87][88][89][90], liver disorders [91][92][93], hypertension [50,94,95], rheumatoid arthritis [96,97], adult respiratory distress syndrome, auto-immune deficiency diseases [98,99], inflammation, degenerative disorders associated with aging [100][101][102][103], diabetes mellitus [104][105]…”

Assessment of antioxidant enzymes and free radical scavenging activity of selected medicinal plants

“…[4] Free radicals are formed from molecules by the homolytic cleavage of a chemical bond and via redox reactions, once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction. [5][6] Oxidative stress can cause damage to all molecular targets; DNA, proteins and lipids often it is not clear which is the first point of attack, since injury mechanisms overlap widely. The primary cellular target of oxidative stress can vary; DNA is an important early target of damage.…”

Free Radicals, Antioxidants and Disease

“…Reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as signaling molecules regulating an array of processes in the cardiovascular system and contribute to a large extent in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis [30]. Oxygen free radicals have been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as atherosclerosis, ischemia, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy and congestive heart failure by both in vivo and in vitro studies [31][32][33][34][35].…”