Antioxidant Therapy in Cardiovascular Diseases: Still a Matter of Debate

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are highly reactive chemical species, which are responsible for oxidative stress inside the cell. They are mainly generated in vascular cells by NAD(P)H oxidases, uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and other enzymatic sources, or as a byproduct of mitochondrial respiration. Imbalanced production of ROS lead to exacerbation of pathophysiological processes in both humans and in animal models [1]. For example, in a number of cardiovascular pathologies, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and restenosis after angioplasty or venous bypass grafting, excessive production of reactive oxygen species has been implicated to play an important role [2]. As ROS can be neutralized by antioxidants, many studies proposed antioxidants as a treatment option in ameliorating diseases.