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Cardiovascular disease and
the potential protective role of antioxidants
O. O. Oguntibeju*, A. J.
Esterhuyse and E. J. Truter
Oxidative
Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health and Wellness
Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology,
Bellville, South Africa.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: bejufemi@yahoo.co.uk or
oguntibejuo@cput.ac.za. Tel.: +27 21 959
6592. Fax: +27 21 959 6770.
Accepted
17 February, 2009 |
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Epidemiological studies have shown that in the 20th
century, cardiovascular disease was responsible for less
than ten percent of all deaths globally. However, recent
reports indicate that the trend has changed with studies
showing that cardiovascular disease currently accounts for
about thirty percent of all deaths in the world. It is
generally accepted that smoking, high blood cholesterol
levels, high triglyceride levels, elevated LDL levels,
elevated blood pressure, physical inactivity, insulin
resistance, obesity and type 2-diabetes are risk factors for
cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately these known risk
factors do not provide a full explanation for all cases of
heart disease. Recent research has identified what is
preferentially termed novel risk factors that may assist to
identify persons or populations at risk of developing
cardiovascular disease. One such novel risk factor is the
presence in the body of free-and hydroxyperoxide radicals.
It has been reported that free-and hydroxyperoxide radicals
have the potential to damage biological compounds and
structures such as proteins, membrane lipids, DNA and
carbohydrates and that such damage caused by these radicals
are said to be involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of
different diseases such as cardiovascular disease. The link
between deficiencies of antioxidants and production of
free-and hydroxyperoxide radicals has been reported. This
review paper reports on cardiovascular disease, its
associated risk factors and the potential protective role of
antioxidants in the prevention and management of
cardiovascular disease.
Key
words:
antioxidants, cardiovascular disease, risk factors,
preventative, epidemiology. |
