Free radicals and antioxidants in cardiovascular diseases.

It has been shown that redox homeostasis is important in the pathophysiology of several human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. In this respect, genetic polymorphism, nutritional and environmental factors, age, lifestyle, and physical activity may account for variable antioxidant defenses, which may be more or less effective in counteracting oxidative damage. Since accumulating oxidative damage may be associated with several pathological conditions, including different cardiovascular diseases, prevention of oxidative stress seems to be a promising approach to improve such diseases. Exercise training, diets rich in antioxidants, and a good control of blood glucose and lipid levels help strengthen the physiological antioxidant defense system, perhaps coupled to drugs capable of increasing the nitric oxide bioavailability and decreasing superoxide production. Within the next few years other therapeutic approaches will be available, such as gene therapy, which will prove to be even more effective but devoid of several important systemic side effects.